What Happened Last Night
by Onyx Obsidian
Summary: Everyone's getting ready to start their day. What could be wrong so early in the morning? Rated T. Booth/Brennan.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I don't own Bones.**

 **(Hands held up in surrender) Yes, yes, yes...Another story. I know, I know. Don't shoot. Please let me know if I should continue this. If necessary, I can go back and rework it into a one-shot.**

 **Please note, however, I don't know when the updates will be. Granted, I'm still unemployed, so I have time to write, but I do have other responsibilities.**

 **Hopefully you enjoy this. :)**

* * *

In nearly every home in the United States, early in the morning, you would find people getting ready for work. Accountants. Lawyers. Cashiers. Nurses. Police Officers. Waitresses. Teachers. Doctors. Judges. Mechanics. Repairmen. If you looked into their windows, you'd see every walk of life getting ready to start their days. And in most of these homes, you'd find that on the television, playing in the background, was the morning news. Catching up on the headlines of the day as they prepare to go be part of society.

And that is how most of the country found out one of the top news stories. Including those that worked at the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab in Washington, D.C.

* * *

"Ange, have you seen my keys? I can't find them anywhere?" Hodgins asked his wife as they got ready for work.

Finishing up her makeup in the bathroom, she called back, "Look in the bowl on the bookshelf by the front door."

"Oh! Right." he said, walking out of the bedroom to the living room. "Found 'em!" he yelled.

Angela rolled her eyes as she stepped into the bedroom and slid her shoes on. "That's great, babe."

"Are you ready? I figured we could stop for breakfast..." he said, trailing off as the top news story came on just as he was preparing to turn off the television.

"Hodgins, we just had breakfast a half hour ago." she said as she entered the living room. "I just need to grab my...oh, my God!" she screeched as she, too, saw the story playing on the news.

* * *

"Michelle! You're going to be late if you don't get a move on!" Cam yelled down the hall to her daughter.

"I know, Mom!" Michelle yelled back. "I just can't seem to get my hair right!" she said in frustration.

Cam huffed out a laugh as she shook her head. "I'm sure your boss will love that excuse." she said to herself.

"Alright, I'm ready." Michelle said, walking into the kitchen. "Not the hairstyle I wanted for the day, but..."

"You look fine." Cam said, putting her coffee cup in the sink. "Now, I'll give you a ride to work, but you're going to have to catch the bus home tonight."

Michelle rolled her eyes as she turned to pick up her bag off the small kitchen table. "I know." she said. "Hey, look." she said, turning the volume up on the television.

"Oh, no." Cam breathed, reaching for her cell phone.

* * *

"I don't know what time I'll be home tonight, Seeley." Hannah said as she stood by the counter drinking a big cup of coffee and watching the news on the small television Booth kept in there. "I have a meeting with Congressman York first thing and then I need to see my editor." she said.

Booth walked out of the bedroom doing up his tie, nodding. "Alright." he said, entering the kitchen. "Hopefully I get a case today."

"It's been a slow week, hasn't it?" she asked, tilting her head.

"More like a slow month." Booth said, pouring himself a cup. "Well, case or no, I have to go see Bones. I haven't heard from her in a while, so I'm gonna check up on her." he said, grimacing at the cold coffee.

Hannah hummed in agreement as she finished off her coffee. "Tell her I said hello. I called her the other night to invite her to dinner, but she didn't answer." she said, rinsing out her cup.

"Yeah, I will." Booth nodded, walking into the living room. He grabbed his keys, cell phone and badge off the coffee table and turned to grab his jacket from the chair where he put it earlier.

"Seeley!" Hannah yelled.

"What? What is it?" he asked, running back in as he heard the panic in her voice. Hannah said nothing, just pointed at the television.

* * *

 _"And in other news, world renowned Forensic Anthropologist and New York Times best selling author, Dr. Temperance Brennan, has been listed in critical condition after the car she was driving was struck late last night just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. According to officers at the scene, the vehicle driven by forty-five year old Jill Taylor, of Rabbit Springs, Virginia, veered across the median, and crashed head on into the vehicle driven by Dr. Brennan. Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene, while Dr. Brennan was taken to a local hospital. We'll have more on this story and Dr. Brennan during our ten o'clock news break."_

"I...I...I need to...I should be there. Why wasn't I called? I need to call..."

"Seeley, Seeley...calm down." Hannah said, placing her hand on his shaking hand. "First things first. Call..." she trailed off, seeing his phone lighting up.

"Cam?" Booth asked, answering his cell phone.

"Seeley, did you see..."

"Yeah, yeah I did." Booth said, nodding even though she couldn't see him. "Did anyone call you, or what?" he asked, standing up to begin pacing. At a time like this, he couldn't sit still.

"No, they didn't, Seeley. I checked." Cam said. "Listen, after I hang up with you, I'm going to make a couple calls, see what I can find out. Then, I'll call you back, alright?" she asked.

"Okay. Call me as soon as you find out something...anything, really, Cam." he said.

"I will." she said, hanging up.

Booth blew out a breath as he continued pacing his living room. As he was turning back, his eyes caught sight of a favorite picture of his. It was Bones, sitting beside Parker at a Flyers game he had convinced her to go to last year. She was wearing a Flyers jersey, as was Parker, and he was, too, but he wasn't in the picture. The two of them were wearing gigantic smiles, with Parker leaning into Bones. That had been one of the best days he and Parker had ever had.

"I uh...I need to go see Bones." he said, turning to Hannah. "I should be there...you know, just...just..." he stammered, not wanting to finish that sentence.

Hannah, however, knew what he was trying not to say. Nodding, she gave him a smile. "I understand, Seeley. Go to her." she said.

Booth nodded, looking at his cell phone as he dialed. "Thanks, Hannah." he said. "Hodgins, hey. I need you and Angela to pack a bag. We're going to North Carolina." he said, his voice trailing off as he walked into the bedroom, leaving Hannah in the living room.

* * *

"Did he say anything?" Angela asked, getting a nightgown out of the dresser.

"Just that we were going to North Carolina to see Doc Bee." Hodgins said, throwing some stuff into an overnight bag. "He should be getting here, babe, so we need to hurry."

"I meant did he say if he'd heard anything about Brennan?" she asked, going into the bathroom for her toothbrush and other toiletries.

"No. I asked, and he hadn't heard anything. Sorry." he said. "I also called Cam, by the way, and she's going with us."

"That's good." Angela said. "What about Iraqi Barbie? Is she going?" she asked, rolling her eyes, and praying he said...

"No. Booth's not bringing her. It's just gonna be the four of us." Hodgins answered.

"Good." Angela said, just as their doorbell rang.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I don't own Bones. Trust me, if I did, Booth and Hodgins would be shirtless a lot more. ;)**

 **Oh, wow! Thank you guys so, so much for all the wonderful reviews, and for following and adding this to your favorites list. If I'm being honest, I didn't expect so many of you to like this. But, I'm so glad you are.**

 **If you're enjoying this, may I recommend 'The Heart Won't Lie' by razztaztic? One of my all time favorite Bones stories.**

 **Alright, my loves. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 _\- Russ Brennan's home, Raleigh, 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon -_

"Did you talk to her?" Amy asked as she watched her sister-in-law playing with Hayley and Emma in the backyard.

Russ nodded as he finished loading the dishwasher. "I did. I brought it up several times, actually." he said.

"And?" Amy asked, not turning away from the sight in front of her. "Did she give you an answer, or did she do like she did with me and change the subject?"

"Well, you know Tempe. She tried her damnedest to change the subject, but you also know me. I didn't let up." Russ said. "The best answer I got was 'I'll think about it', and for Tempe, that's about as good as you'll get when she's uncomfortable with the conversation, which I know she was."

"Russ," Amy sighed, finally turning around, "for someone relatively smart, you don't get it. When it comes to your sister and big changes like this, you have to think like her."

"What?" Russ asked, leaning against the counter. "I don't understand."

"Think about it, sweetheart. Tempe was alone for fifteen years. No family. No friends. She worked her ass off to get where she is, and she did that on her own. She went through hell during her time in foster care, but kept her grades up to a point she was awarded three scholarships. Not to mention, she had two jobs during college, but kept her studies at the highest level possible. Then, she becomes a world renowned Forensic Anthropologist and gets hired by the best institute in the country. She's widely acknowledged as the best, not only in her field, but in the world. Then, she adds in several best selling books, marking her place in the literary world as one of the best..."

"Amy, I already know all this." Russ interrupted. "What's your point?"

"She did all that on her own, Russ. Tempe's not used to relying on people to be there for her." she said.

"So, she's reluctant to move here to be closer to us." Russ said, suddenly understanding. "Oh. She likely thinks if she moves here, and gets used to being around us, that we'll pick up and move, leaving her behind again."

"Exactly." Amy said softly. Walking over, she wrapped her arms around his neck, gently pecking him on the cheek. "Give her some time. Plus, she's kinda got her own little family back in DC, and maybe she doesn't want to leave them."

Russ snorted. "Yeah, well..."

"Russ, I know you don't really like her friends, but..."

"It's not that I don't like them, Amy. It's that whenever me or Dad go to visit her, they constantly remind us that we left her. It's like those people can't let go of a past they weren't apart of, even though Tempe's forgiven us." he said.

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose." Amy said. "Or, you could look at it as them wanting to protect her by making you and Max feel so guilty for the past, it pretty much guarantees you're around in some way from now on."

"I guess." he shrugged.

"We'll talk more later." Amy said, noticing the others coming back in. "Hey, have fun?" she asked, getting a bottle of water out of the fridge, along with two plastic glasses for the girls.

"Yeah!" the two exclaimed. "Aunt Tempe is so fun. She spun me around and around until I thought I was gonna spew!" Emma said, a wide smile on her face as she took the glass her mom gave her, half filled with water.

The adults all laughed at her exclamation. "Well, did you thank her for playing with you?"

Emma and Hayley both nodded, taking long drinks out of their glasses. "Uh huh." Hayley said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Can you play with us everyday, Aunt Tempe?" she asked, looking with bright eyes to her favorite aunt.

Brennan laughed as she uncapped her own bottle of water. "Maybe not everyday, but whenever I come for a visit." she said.

"What time were you gonna leave, Tempe?" Russ asked.

"Well, it's a four and a half hour drive, so I was thinking about five or six." she said.

"Do you have to leave, Aunt Tempe?" Emma asked, standing by her legs and pulling on her shirt.

Brennan nodded, squatting down in front of her niece. "Yes, Emma, I do."

Emma hugged her, squeezing her neck tightly. "I'm gonna miss you, Aunt Tempe."

"I'll miss you, too." Brennan said, feeling her eyes welling with tears.

* * *

The next three hours flew by, and before Brennan knew it, it was time for her to get going. After all, after a four hour drive - at night, no less, - she would be exhausted by the time she got back to DC and into bed, and she needed to be rested for work tomorrow.

"Bye, Tempe." Amy said, hugging her. "You know you're welcome anytime. Even if you're in the neighborhood and want to drop by." she said, chuckling a bit.

"As good as that sounds, I don't know when I'll get back down this way, Sis." Brennan said, shocking Amy with the new name. "But, I'll try to come back for regular visits." she said, pulling away. "Alright, monkeys, come give me a hug goodbye." she said, kneeling down to hug her nieces.

"I wish you didn't have to leave, Aunt Tempe." Emma said, sniffling as she hugged her.

"Yeah. I'm gonna miss you." Hayley said from the other side, also sniffling.

"How about I call you tomorrow after school? You can tell me all about what you learned." Brennan suggested, eyes watering again. After Emma and Hayley nodded their approval, she gently pulled away from them, standing up. "Alright, then. Tomorrow." she said, giving them a smile.

"Hayley, Emma, why don't you girls come up with me and we'll get your baths started?" Amy suggested, trying to take the girls' minds off Tempe leaving.

Once the two had given her another hug, and a wave from the front porch, it was just Brennan and Russ left outside.

"You'll think about what we talked about, right?" Russ asked, walking with her over to her car.

"Yes, Russ." Brennan said, nodding.

"Serious thought? I meant what I said, Tempe. I'd really love it if you lived closer. And so would the girls." he said, opening her door.

"I will, Russ. When did you get so naggy?" she asked cheekily, smiling at her brother.

"When I realized I had another chance to be your big brother." Russ said seriously.

Brennan's eyes filled with tears again as she looked at him. Overcome with emotion, she lunged forward, throwing her arms around his neck. "I promise, I'll give it serious thought."

"Alright. And how about instead of calling, we have a video session instead?" Russ asked.

Brennan nodded against his neck. "That sounds better, actually." she said. She held onto him for a moment longer before she pulled away, giving him a sad, watery smile. "Okay, well...I better get going."

Russ smiled at her as she, quite reluctantly, got into the driver's seat, buckling her seatbelt. "Call me when you get to DC, Tempe." he said, shutting the door.

Brennan rolled the window down as she started the ignition. "I will, I promise." she said. "I love you, Russ."

Russ grabbed her hand as she stuck it out the window, reaching for his. "I love you, too, sis." he said. "You be careful going home." he said, letting go.

Brennan waved as she backed out of his driveway. "I will." she yelled, smiling.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Russ watched as his sister's car drove up the street, and sighed as she turned right, and he could no longer see her. Blinking rapidly, he turned and walked slowly into the house.

* * *

Brennan had been on the highway for about thirty minutes, with the radio softly playing being the only noise in the car. Normally, when she was coming home from a visit or an appearance somewhere, she'd call and talk to Angela, with the two of them catching up as she drove. But, this time, however, she had done something completely impetuous and made an unscheduled visit for the weekend to Russ. Brennan hadn't told anyone she was leaving, or even where she was going. Not even Angela.

It was extremely freeing to Brennan to just pick up and take a trip. For the last three days, she hadn't had grading papers, her deadline, or the hundreds of remains waiting to be identified, on her mind. She hadn't gotten depressed thinking of Booth and Hannah, or how they were spending their weekend. She hadn't been envious of Angela, and the baby she was growing. Nor had she been envious of Cam, having someone waiting on her to come home after work.

Temperance Brennan, for the first time in a long time, had had a very pleasant weekend. One filled with laughter, and happy tears. She and Russ hadn't argued, or had a single disagreement. She and Amy had become a lot closer, and for the first time, she felt like she had a sister. A real, true, sister. She had entertained Hayley and Emma, and was overjoyed when they declared that she was their favorite aunt, even above Amy's sisters, one of which had a swimming pool, and the other who lived on a farm with horses. The five of them had even had a pleasant dinner with Max. She and her family had actually gotten along for longer than five minutes, and as she drove, she found herself terribly lonely. Sighing, she fought the urge to turn around and go back, instead focusing intently on the road ahead of her.

The next thing she saw was a red SUV driving right at her, before she felt herself falling into oblivion.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I own nothing. Wish I did, but nope.**

 **Huge thanks to everyone who's followed, added to their favorites, or reviewed. Really, it means a lot.**

 **Forgive me for not updating sooner. It's been a hellish week for my family, and a hellish month for me. As many of you know, from my FB posts, I am currently unemployed. I've been on several interviews, and no go so far. My husband has been having some medical issues, and just yesterday, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. So, I'm hoping you'll understand that my time, and emotions, have been stretched extremely thin lately.**

 **In an attempt to make up for not posting earlier, this chapter is almost 2300 words. We finally get to the hospital, and see what condition Brennan is in, and we also see what's going on in her mind during all this.**

 **Alright. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _'What a kick in the ass it'd be if we died in a car accident on the way to visit our friend in the hospital who was in a car accident.'_ Hodgins thought as he sat in the backseat, nervously watching the world outside flying by at rapid speeds. For the last hour that the foursome had been on the road, he'd kept one hand gripping his wife's, and the other hand subtlely gripping the seat. He was sure that if someone were to look later, they'd find impressions of his short fingernails in the under side of the seat.

"Booth, would you please, for the love of God, slow the hell down!" Cam shouted from the passenger seat. "I know you want to get to the hospital, but I'd really like to not end up in a bed in the room next to Brennan!" she added, tightly gripping her seatbelt strap as she watched the speedometer go over the ninety mile an hour mark.

"I know how to drive in high speed pursuits, Camille!" Booth shouted back at her.

"Yes, but WE'RE NOT IN A HIGH SPEED PURSUIT, SEELEY!" she yelled back, glaring at him. "Look, it's at least a four hour drive, and you won't do anyone any favors by killing us all trying to make it in two!"

Unheard by anyone, Angela let out a snort. _'He probably wants to make sure Bren's gonna be okay and then go home to Barbie.'_ she thought bitterly.

She wasn't totally convinced he was actually worried about Brennan, if his actions lately were anything to go by. About a week after _she_ moved in, Booth changed. He no longer went out for drinks with them after a case, he didn't attend the Jeffersonian fundraiser, he even declined the invitation to Angela and Hodgins' dinner party a few weeks ago, where they proudly announced Angela's pregnancy. These actions, and several others, made it clear to everyone that outside work, he wanted nothing to do with any of them anymore.

Which, she would deny if asked, hurt her deeply. And if it hurt her, she could only imagine what Brennan had been feeling.

"Yeah, I agree with Cam. I would appreciate it if you slowed down." Angela said. "I mean, unless you'd like my breakfast all over the floor back here." she said, rubbing her belly.

Booth glanced at her in the rearview mirror, grimacing. "Sheesh, I'm sorry, Ange." he said. "I just...I need to be there, you know." he added, slowing down to eighty.

Cam's glare softened at his admission. She knew that despite everything, Booth was still head over heels in love with Brennan. She also knew that should the worst happen, Booth would never forgive himself for not being there.

"I know, Seeley. I know." she said. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled her cell phone out, intending to make a phone call when it started ringing. "Dr. Saroyan." she answered.

Booth kept his eyes on the road, but his ears on Cam's conversation. She had been trying to get in touch with her friend, and Chief Surgeon at the hospital Brennan was in, hoping for any details she could get on Brennan's condition before they arrived.

"Andrea, hello."..."Yes, I did, actually."..."I know it's not protocol, but, she's a friend, Andrea. How is she?"...Isn't that dangerous?"..."No, I understand. You had to do what needed to be done."..."Has she been awake at all?"..."Oh. I see."..."Okay."..."Yeah. Thanks, Andrea."..."Bye."

"Well?" Booth asked once she hung up. He was desperate to know what she knew about Brennan so far.

Cam took a deep breath, leaning her head back. "The good news is that she's going to recover. The bad news is from what Andrea told me, it's going to be a long road to recovery." she said.

"But she _is_ going to survive, right?" Angela asked from the back, her eyes welling up at the news her friend would be alright.

"Yes." Cam said, sighing in relief, as did the others.

* * *

Pulling into the hospital parking lot, Booth quickly found an empty space. Throwing the truck into park, he barely had the ignition shut off before he was jumping out of the driver's seat in a rush to get inside. He found, however, that now they were here, he was incredibly nervous. Not only because of the condition Bones might be in, but because he knew his treatment of her had been less than stellar lately, and wasn't sure how she'd react to him being here. As he waited for the others to get out of the truck, he began anxiously pacing.

"You alright, Angie?" Hodgins asked. For the last half hour or so, his wife had been looking a bit green. He had thought it was due to Booth's driving, but wondered if her morning sickness was spreading into all day sickness now.

Angela nodded. "Yeah." she said, opening her door. "I just need some fresh air. No offense, babe, but your cologne, Booth's cologne, and Cam's perfume is making me a bit nauseous."

Cam frowned as she stood by Angela's opened door. "I'm not wearing perfume. I'm allergic to the stuff."

"Sorry, Cam. Anyway, I can't smell it now, so it's a bit better." Angela said.

"Hey, we going in, or what?" Booth asked, joining the group. He saw Angela take a deep breath, grimacing. "What's wrong?"

"You need to tell Hannah to switch perfumes, Booth." she said. "I can smell her all over you, and to be honest, it stinks." she said, motioning him to move back from her.

"Oh?" Booth asked. He brought the front of his shirt to his nose, inhaling. "Sorry, Angela. I must've caught some of it when she sprayed it on this morning." _'Whoa. Has it always smelled that bad?'_ he thought to himself as he tried not to grimace at the smell that was still lingering both on him, and in his nose.

"Well, just stay...downwind, will you?" Angela asked, getting out.

"Sure." he nodded, standing back as she walked past him.

* * *

"Camille, hello." Dr. Andrea Curtis, Chief Surgeon, greeted her friend as she entered her office.

"Andrea." Cam said, embracing her old friend. "Guys, this is Dr. Andrea Curtis. Andrea, this is Jack Hodgins, Angela Montenegro-Hodgins, and Seeley Booth." she said, introducing them. "They're friends of Dr. Brennan, as well."

Dr. Curtis smiled. "I see. Well, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to see her." she said, nodding toward the hallway.

"Has she woken yet?" Cam asked, walking beside Dr. Curtis.

"I'm afraid not, no." Dr. Curtis said, shaking her head. "Of course, I'd be not only surprised, but impressed, if she had woke so soon." she added. For the rest of the walk, Booth, Angela, and Hodgins were silent, while Cam and the doctor made boring small talk. Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor, the group stepped off, following Dr. Curtis.

Stopping in front of a door to a room, she turned to face the group. "Now, before we go in, I must warn you that she looks a lot worse than she is." she said, opening the door and letting them enter.

Upon entering, Angela couldn't stop the gasp that escaped as she took in the sight of her best friend. Lying there, Brennan looked...broken, she thought. She had seen her friend after being shot, blown up, and stabbed, but none of that prepared her for this.

Likewise, Booth was struggling to keep his emotions in check. Brennan was lying there in the bed, motionless, pale, and bruised. His eyes took in the tubes coming out of her.

"Bones." he whispered, walking over to stand beside her bed. Looking down at her, his eyes teared up seeing her beautiful face covered in cuts and bruises, and her bottom lip looking split. The hospital gown she was in was pulled to the side a bit, and he could see what looked like a bruise on her shoulder. Looking down as he gently reached for her hand, he felt the tears break free seeing a bit of blood still on her fingernails. Sitting down in the chair, he kept his eyes focused on her hand, but caught bits of Cam and Dr. Curtis' conversation behind him.

"...several broken ribs...bruised shoulder...thankfully, she was wearing a seatbelt...bit through her lip...numerous cuts from the shattered windshield...collapsed lung...we inserted a chest tube to help her breathe...possible concussion...additional tests..."

Hodgins was standing behind his wife, with his hands on her shoulders, thanking a God he wasn't sure he believed in for Brennan's survival. Looking toward Booth, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. Hodgins knew that despite Hannah's appearance in his life, it was a sad attempt at getting over Dr. B.

 _'Look at him. He's still over the moon in love with Doc B. He's not over her, that's for sure. I think it's safe to say Hannah will soon be just a memory that never should have happened. Besides, there's nothing special about her. She may be pretty, but Doc B is gorgeous. And she's nowhere near as smart, either. But, then again, who is? And, while we tolerate her to a certain extent, she's not family like Doc B is. When she gets better, I hope they work things out.'_

* * *

Oblivious to all this, Brennan was in a world of her own.

 _'Okay, I am obviously hallucinating.'_ she thought as she took in her surroundings. Despite not having been here, this place felt familiar. She was further confused by watching herself at the kitchen counter. She was obviously preparing dinner, as several pots were cooking on the stove behind her.

 _'I look nothing like that. That 'me' has a much wider waist than I do, not to mention her breasts look...bigger than mine.'_ she thought, looking down at her own breasts. _'Have I been here before? I don't remember living here.'_ she thought, looking around. Seeing something extremely out of place, she walked over to investigate.

 _'Why is Booth's hockey paraphernalia on the wall? And his airplane wing. And I know that's his favorite photo of Parker.'_ she thought, frowning at the various items in the living room. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned around. Her frown became more pronounced as she saw Booth walking down the stairs, carrying a baby in his arms.

"Hey, guess who's awake?" he asked, walking toward the other Brennan in the kitchen. "And I think she's hungry." he said, handing her the baby.

"Hello, Christine." the other Brennan smiled down at the baby. "I'll take her in the living room to feed her if you'll take over dinner." she said, looking up at the other Booth.

"No problem, Bones." he said, leaning down to kiss her. "Oh, and before I forget, Max said he'd be here around seven to take her for the night."

 _'I have to be hallucinating. One, I don't live here and I've never been here. Two, I don't have a baby with Booth, and three, no way would I ever let Max take my child overnight.'_ she thought, watching the other Brennan sit n a chair and begin breastfeeding Christine.

 _'She is a beautiful baby. Look at her, she's got my eyes. And Booth's nose.'_ she thought, standing behind the other Brennan and examining the baby. _'But she's not real, and this isn't real. Booth is with Hannah now. This is just a cruel dream.'_ she thought, turning away from the other Brennan and the baby. Feeling her eyes burning, she went back into the kitchen, observing the other Booth.

 _'He looks happy with all this. He's got that sparkle back in his eyes.'_ she thought, watching him cooking dinner, every now and then cutting his eyes toward the other Brennan, and smiling. _'But this isn't real. It's just a hallucination. Booth would never be happy with me. Not before Hannah, and certainly not after her. Hannah's perfect. Like I thought, this is just a cruel dream.'_ she thought, closing her eyes as she tried not to cry.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I don't own Bones.**

 **Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and faves.**

 **We take a small time jump in this one. And I think there's something that many of you have been waiting for. We also have a wee bit of drama in this, too. This might be a bit shorter than usual, but I thought you all would like an update. :)**

 **Alright. It's been a long day, so I'm not going to ramble on like usual. Enjoy!**

* * *

"And I was thinking, Bones, after you get out of here, I'll even go to one of those lectures with you." Booth said lowly. "You know, the ones you're always trying to drag me to because they'll 'widen my scope of interests', as you say?" he added, squeezing her hand as he chuckled.

For the last five days, he had sat at Brennan's bedside, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. For the last five days, he'd gotten zero response from her. For five days, he'd watched as nurses came and went, taking care of her while he could do nothing but talk to her, not knowing if she could hear him or not. Five days of eating meals mostly consisting of cafeteria food, which, if he was honest, wasn't really all that bad.

"Booth, why don't you take my hotel key and get some sleep, maybe take a long shower." Cam suggested from the chair by the window.

Shaking his head, Booth lifted his eyes from Brennan to glance at Cam. "No, thanks, Camille."

"Seeley, you..."

"What if she wakes up while I'm gone? Hmmm?" he asked, stroking the back of her hand.

"Seeley, it's been five days. This isn't healthy." she said. "You need to take care of yourself, or you know Dr. Brennan will give you hell for it when she's able." she added, getting a small laugh from her friend.

"Yeah. She would, too, wouldn't she?" he replied. Sighing, he stood, his back cracking as he did, and walked over to Cam, holding his hand out. "Alright, alright. You win."

Smiling, Cam handed her the hotel key out of her purse. "Take your time, Seeley. Shower. _Sleep._ Maybe get something other than those roast beef sandwiches you've been living on to eat." she said.

"Right." he said, turning to leave. Looking one more time at Brennan, he sighed as he reluctantly left.

"You'll thank me later, big man." she whispered to herself, reopening her book of crosswords.

* * *

"Hey, Cam." Angela said as she and Hodgins walked back in. "Where's Booth?" she asked, not seeing the man who was usually found sitting at Brennan's side for the last five days.

"I sent him to my hotel room to get some sleep and shower." she replied, putting her crossword book down. "How was lunch?" she asked.

Angela groaned as she sat down in the seat by her friend. "It was delicious. We went to this seafood café, and oh...you'd love it, trust me." she said.

"Yeah, I plan on going back for lunch tomorrow. I had this shrimp platter that was..." Hodgins agreed, trailing off when Russ walked in. "Uh, hey, Russ." he greeted awkwardly.

"Hodgins." Russ nodded, walking over to his sister. "Any change today?" he asked without greeting Angela.

"Oh...Uh, afraid not." Cam chimed when she saw Angela's lips purse. She knew Angela was getting ready to bring up the same argument she and Russ had been having for the last five days. "The doctor did say, however, that they'll be taking her for some x-rays later to check how her ribs are healing."

"Good, good." he said, nodding. "Alright, look. I know you three...and Booth," he said, Booth's name rolling off his tongue as if it were a bad taste, "want to move Tempe back to DC. And you know I can't sign off on that. But, I think..."

"You're damn right we do!" Angela burst out, unable to hold her tongue any longer. "Bren would be better off there. Not only would she get the absolute best care, but more importantly, _we'd_ be there. The 'we' being the whole team. Our family. I know you don't want that, but you're just being selfish, Russ." she said sternly.

"Now hold on a minute, Angela!" Russ exclaimed. "I don't see this as being selfish. I see this as me and dad, _Tempe's family,_ being involved in her care. You might not like it, and you don't have to, but _we_ are her family. Her _real family!_ I know you don't like it, but you aren't blood."

"No, we're not. We're just the people that helped her gain trust in being in a family again after her so-called _family_ abandoned her!" Angela yelled, standing and putting her hands on her hips. " _You_ may not like it, but we _are_ family to her, Russ, and that's all that matters!"

"Is there a problem in here?" a nurse asked as she entered the room, hearing the yelling from the nurse's station. "Do I need to call security?"

"No, that's alright." Cam said, standing. "It's just...tensions are running a bit high, is all." she said, silently imploring the nurse not to call security anyway.

Nodding, the nurse gave a stern glance around the room. "Alright. Just keep it down or I will call for them." she said before exiting.

"Okay, you two, just calm down." Hodgins said. "Especially you, babe. You don't need to be getting all worked up." he added, putting his hand on his wife's shoulder as she sat back down.

The room was silent except for the machines beeping. Everyone was trying not to start yelling again, not wanting to be ejected from the room. After about ten minutes, Russ cleared his throat.

"If you would've let me finish," he started, glancing at Angela, "I was going to make you a deal." he said.

"What kind of deal?" Hodgins asked.

"I talked to dad last night, and we both agreed on this, just so you know." Russ said. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "If Tempe is still unconscious at the one week mark, two days from now, we will agree to her being transferred to DC." he said.

"Re...really?" Cam asked, shocked. "You two have been fighting us tooth and nail for five days, and if she's still in this state in _two days_ , you'll let us take her home?" she blinked.

"And if she's awake? Then what?" Angela asked.

"Then she gets to decide where she wants to be." Russ answered. "Look, dad and I agreed. He's not comfortable seeing her like this, Amy can't be here much because of the girls, and I have work. It makes sense that she be back with...back home. Plus, I'm sure you guys want to go home and not be here around the clock, and I'm also sure Booth's girlfriend must want him home, so...It just makes sense." he said.

Hodgins and Cam exchanged a look of surprise. Neither could believe they were giving in on this finally.

"Well, I guess it does. There'd be more of us to sit with Dr. B back home." Hodgins said.

"I know." Russ said, reaching out for his sister's hand. "It would be best for Tempe."

* * *

Five days. It had been five days, and Hannah Burley had had enough. Her boyfriend had been sitting with his partner for five days, and rarely answered her calls, or returned her texts. And when he did, the messages were short, and the conversations were terse. It seemed as if she were an annoyance to him. And she was done with it. With all of it.

When she suggested he come home in a conversation they had yesterday, he flat out refused, giving her the excuse that 'Bones needs me right now, Hannah', which just pushed her over the edge. Ever since she moved in with Seeley, it had been Bones this and Bones that. He talked more about her than he did his own son, which convinced Hannah further that Temperance was more than just his partner.

Sighing, she finished folding her clothes, adding a bag filled with her shampoo and things from the bathroom, as well as her various knick knacks she'd acquired during her time here, and zipped her suitcase shut. She carried it into the living room, setting it down by the other one before sitting on the sofa. She didn't want to do what she was about to do, but she saw no other way.

 _Dear Seeley,_

 _You have no idea how hard it is to do this, but there's no other choice for me. This isn't going to work if I'm not part of your life, and let's face it, I'm not. I'm only apart of a slice of it, but not the whole thing. And that won't work for me. So, let's call this what it really was - a lot of fun that wasn't meant to last. I wish you all the best, Seeley._

 _Love,_

 _Hannah xoxo_

Just as she signed her name, she heard the horn from the taxi honking for her. Sighing once again, she set her key on top of the letter before standing. As she stepped into the hallway with her bags, the door clicked shut, signaling the end of another chapter of her life, and she walked toward the stairs with tears in her eyes.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I don't own Bones.**

 **Thank you for reviewing, following, and adding this to your favorites.**

 **So sorry I haven't updated before now. But, to make up for the wait, this is a long chapter. Yay! It's also a bit emotional, which I don't normally do, hence the reason for the wait. I'm more funny than emotional, usually. So, please, let me know what you thought afterwards.**

 **Alright. On we go! Enjoy!**

* * *

Covered in sweat, panting for breath, and his heart racing, Booth sat straight up in bed. Disoriented, he looked frantically around the room, turning his head left and right before he remembered that Cam had insisted he go to her hotel room and get some rest. Sitting on the side of the bed, he put his head in his hands, trying to calm down.

He'd had nightmares about not being able to save Bones before, but this was one of the worst. He was standing beside Cam's autopsy table, staring down at a body covered by a sheet. Reaching down and pulling the sheet down a bit, he started sobbing at the sight of a broken, cut, bruised Bones, along with the familiar beginnings of the cuts Cam made during the autopsy. Bones was pale, her lips a rosy pink, and her beautiful brunette hair surrounding her. He gently ran a finger down the side of her face. He had no idea how long he stood there, just staring at her, until it took all of the team to pull him away from her.

Nightmares weren't anything new to Seeley Booth. Ever since he was a small boy, he had suffered from them at least once a week. After all, when you're small and defenseless against a man at least three times your size, it's bound to be terrifying and leave imprints. It only increased during his time in the Army. During his missions, he'd have nightmares about everything, and everyone. He'd dream about Pops, Rebecca and their then-unborn child, then Parker once he'd arrived, friends, the little family he'd had then, fellow Army buddies, and his victims.

Once he joined up with Bones, and the Jeffersonian crew, however, his nightmares lessened. Every time they solved a murder, the guilt he carried around began to ease as they helped him even out his karmic balance sheet. In time, he would find himself having nightmares only once or twice a week, though. His mind instead shot other images into his dreams. Mostly, it was Bones he dreamt about nowadays. And not in the way he just did, either.

When he came back from Afghanistan this time, he'd had the usual nightmares. Shootings. Bombs exploding. Watching his brothers in arms fall all around him, and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Watching his family and friends fall, and being helpless. And just when he started to get over them, Bones almost dies, and he really is helpless. His brain and heart were in a new battle with each other. His brain said that logically, there was nothing he could do to help her at the moment, and his heart was telling him that just being with her was helping. That Bones could feel him in the room with her, silently urging her to wake up.

Standing on still shaky legs, Booth made his way to the bathroom, intending to take a shower before he went back to the hospital. He had hopes that standing under the hot water would wash away the remnants of his latest nightmare as he continued to remind himself that Bones was going to be alright.

* * *

"You know, I thought about asking you to stay one more night before you went home." Russ said, quietly talking to his sister's prone form, still stroking her hand. He was grateful the other three had decided to give him a few minutes alone with Tempe.

"I didn't want you to go, and especially at night." he continued. "But, I know you, and once your mind's made up, that's it. Just like when we were kids, and you decided to climb the big oak out back. No matter how much mom and dad tried, you were determined to do it anyway." he chuckled. "And sure enough, you fell out and skinned your knee real bad."

"You're a very headstrong woman, Tempe, and as much as I admire that about you, it also makes me worry about you. I mean, you were so determined to work with Booth, and that's ended up with you being shot, kidnapped, blown up, buried alive, and who knows what else that I don't know about. I know you enjoy what you and your team do, but it's so dangerous, Tempe. Too dangerous."

Russ sighed, shaking his head as his eyes filled with tears. "I'm prepared for almost any horrible situation involving you, or...I thought I was. God, Tempe, you'll never know how scared I was when the highway patrol called about your accident. The first picture that popped into my mind was you lying on the highway, covered in blood and..." he said, trailing off as he began shaking.

"I hate that I can't keep you safe. Believe me, if I had a say, you'd go back to being a boring anthropologist who works with really, really, old dead people, and not new dead people. You'd identify remains from the Civil War, not from a gang war in DC. You'd have a nice, safe job. But, I know you'd never go for that. You've never wanted to be wrapped in bubble wrap, huh? Even as kids, you'd be right out there, horsing around with me and my friends, getting dirty, and all scraped up. But, no matter how scraped up you got, the next weekend, you'd be right back out there, doing it all over again." he laughed.

"I know I need to back off, Tempe, but it's hard. Being back in your life, I feel like it's my job to protect you again. I'm supposed to be the big brother who warns off any guys who look at you that I don't like. But, I can't. You're a grown woman now, and I need to learn to trust you'll be okay. As much as I want to fight, and scream, you're not the kid sister anymore, who wants my comfort because you fell down." he said.

"And I'll really try to tone down on the overprotectiveness, if you'll promise...when you can...not to show up too often with a bullet wound. Deal?" he asked, knowing she wouldn't, but hoping, she would answer him.

* * *

Booth was standing just outside the door to Bones' room, listening to Russ talking to her. He leaned his head against the wall as he listened to Russ tell Bones how he pictured her after the crash, his eyes also filling. He had the same thought as he drove down here. He kept picturing her, lying in a hospital bed, covered in bruises, cuts, scrapes, and with broken bones. And, though he'd tried to fight it, after getting his hands on a copy of the accident report, he couldn't help the flashes of that night as he imagined the crash as it happened.

Taking a deep breath and shaking his head as one of those images began to form, he slowly walked into the room, knocking quietly on the door to alert Russ to his presence.

"Hey, Russ. Sorry to interrupt." he said.

Russ looked at Booth for a moment before turning his eyes back to his sister. "The others are down in the cafeteria, I believe." he said in a chilly voice. "If you wanna join them."

"Nah." Booth said, shaking his head and sitting in the seat on the opposite side. "I'll stay here with Bones."

"If you'd rather join them, it's perfectly alright, Booth. I'm here." Russ said, glaring at the agent. "And I always will be, despite what others think." he added.

Booth sighed, looking to Russ. "Alright, what the hell's that supposed to mean? I've always been here for Bones, unlike some people."

Russ snorted at that. "Yeah, sure you have, Booth. You keep telling yourself that."

"Okay, Russ, what's the problem?"

"The problem is you, _Agent Booth_. It's always been you." Russ said in a heated voice. "Whenever she's been hurt, it's always been because of you."

Booth leveled Russ with a glare of his own. "Whatever you may think, Russ, I have always, _always,_ tried my damnedest to keep Bones safe." he growled.

"You call being shot safe? Or kidnapped? How about when she was buried alive? Is that your definition of safe?" Russ snarked.

Booth shot up from his chair, leaning slightly toward Russ over Bones. "I'll have you know, _Russ_ , that Bones doesn't blame me for _any_ of that. I do," he said, poking himself in the chest, "but she doesn't," he pointed at Bones, "and that's all that matters."

"Tempe might not blame you, but we, her _family_ , sure as hell do, Booth!" Russ exclaimed, also standing. "I've always blamed you, and I always will!"

"Hey! I always put Bones and her safety first!" Booth yelled.

"Since when? Tempe is always hurt worse than you!" Russ yelled. "If you'll recall, I saw the both of you not long after the bomb exploded a few years ago, and she looked a whole helluva lot worse than you did!"

"Because the bomb was on her side of the car! I pushed her down in the seat, and tried to get the hell out of there! And when she was buried, _I_ was the one who got her out of there! When..."

"Yeah, and if I remember right, you dislocated her shoulder dragging her out." Hodgins said as he, Angela, and Cam entered the room.

At that revelation, Russ' glare returned. "You just can't stop hurting her, can you, Booth?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I hurt her trying to save her!"

"Okay, okay, okay." Cam said calmly, intervening before fists could start flying. "Why don't you both sit back down, and perhaps lower your voices?" she suggested.

"What's going on, anyway? When we left, it was just Russ here." Angela said. "When did you get back, Booth?"

"A little while ago." he shrugged.

"Now, what's the problem?" Cam asked, standing at the end of the bed with her arms crossed. "What's with the yelling?"

"I was just informing Booth here of his missteps with Tempe over the years." Russ said, smirking at Booth.

"Please." Booth snorted. "He's blaming me for every time Bones has gotten hurt."

"You have to admit, most of the time she's gotten hurt has been your fault!" Russ exclaimed.

Booth took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay. Yes, I admit that _some_ of the time, it has been my fault. But, Russ, you've got to know I've always tried to keep her safe."

"I can agree with that." Angela said. "Like when that rogue FBI agent took shots at her, he made himself her bodyguard, which ended with him getting blown up at her apartment later that day."

"But she still got kidnapped, didn't she?" Russ asked.

"Well...yes, but..."

"There you go. His fault."

"Booth was in the hospital when Doc B was kidnapped. In his defense, he didn't know the agent he left her with was the person who shot at her until later." Hodgins said.

"And, when he thought that..."

Russ stood up from his chair again, leaning down to kiss his sister on the forehead. Standing back up, he shook his head at everyone. "Look, you can defend him all you want, but the fact is whenever she's been seriously hurt, it's his fault in _some_ way. No matter what you say, that's just the way it is." he shrugged, walking out of the room.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Angela asked after a moment, looking at Cam.

Hodgins, too, wanted to know. Silently slipping out of the room, he decided to follow Russ and get answers.

* * *

"Russ! Hey, Russ!" Hodgins yelled as he chased his boss' brother across the parking lot as he walked to his car.

"What do you want, Dr. Hodgins?" Russ asked, stopping with a sigh.

"I just wanted to ask you something." Hodgins said, trying to catch his breath.

"Okay. Ask away." Russ said, knowing he wasn't getting out of there anytime soon.

"Do you blame Booth for her being here?" he asked, nodding toward the hospital. "Cause you know, that's kinda what it sounded like."

Russ shook his head. "No. I blame the woman who hit her for that." he answered. "And myself."

"Huh?" Hodgins asked, confused. "How is this your fault?"

"I should've asked her to wait until morning to go home, Dr. Hodgins. If I had, she wouldn't have been in an accident, and I wouldn't have to deal with Booth right now."

"Russ, this isn't your fault. I mean, you couldn't have known she was going to be in an accident. You're not psychic, you know." Hodgins said.

"Yeah, well..." Russ shrugged.

"Russ? What's going on?" Hodgins asked, sensing there was something else bothering the man.

Taking a deep breath, Russ tried to keep his emotions at bay, but soon found his eyes filling with tears as he spilled his guts to the entomologist.

* * *

 **So? How'd I do? Leave a review and let me know.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I don't own Bones. Trust me, if I did, it'd never end. Like Law and Order.**

 **To everyone who has left a review, or followed this story, or added it to their favorites, Thank you. I'm touched so many of you like this, and will try my best not to let you down in the plot.**

 **So sorry this has been late. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Emotional stuff is not my thing. I'm better with the funny. That being said, I'm nervous about posting this, but don't want to wait any longer.**

 **Alright. Enough from me. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Russ? What's going on?" Hodgins asked, sensing there was something else bothering the man.

Taking a deep breath, Russ tried to keep his emotions at bay, but soon found his eyes filling with tears as he spilled his guts to the entomologist.

"I was always the one who protected Tempe when we were kids. She wasn't very popular with kids her own age, and they liked to bully her. Even when we got older, if she was having a problem, I stepped in to fix it. But, once we all left her...oh, this is coming out wrong." he said.

"Well, just take your time, Russ." Hodgins said, crossing his arms as he leant against the car behind him.

Russ sighed, wiping his eyes. "As much as I want to protect her, I'm also one of the people who causes Tempe the most harm. I'm the one who put her in foster care, and so every time she was hurt there...that's on me. Every kick, every slap, every scar I know about is my fault."

"Russ, man, you gotta understand something here." Hodgins said, interrupting him. "Brennan told Angie, who told me, of course, that Brennan doesn't blame anyone for anything that's happened to her over the years. Everything she's gone through has made her who she is, and she wouldn't change that."

Russ nodded. "I know, I know. She's told me that, too, but...I'm the big brother, Hodgins. It's my job to keep her safe, and I haven't done a very good job of that in over twenty years." he said. "I've been failing Tempe since we were kids, and even now, I can't keep her safe." he said, taking a deep breath.

"Russ, what happened to Brennan is not your fault. Just like it isn't Booth's fault." Hodgins said.

"Hodgins, tell me something. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Hodgins shook his head. "Nah. I'm an only child."

"Then you don't understand what I mean." Russ said. "When you have someone who looks up to you, who depends on you to be there for them, and relies on you, if you fail even once, it stays with you. Especially if you fail them in the ways I've failed Tempe." he said. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead. "You see, it's easy to blame Booth when she gets hurt. That's my job. Whether it's physically, which it usually is, or emotionally, like it has been lately." he said. "I'm supposed to step in and make it all go away, but I can't do that this time."

"What do you mean?" Hodgins asked, frowning.

"Tempe told me about this Hannah person. She also told me about the things that lead up to all of this." he said, waving his hand around the parking lot. "Tempe believes that she deserves whatever treatment she gets from him now on. She told me how distant he's become, how he's started referring to her as his colleague, or co-worker, instead of his partner. And see, what you don't know is how much she's keeping it to herself, just how much she's hurting inside because of that. How much Booth's coldness toward her is affecting her."

Hodgins blew out a breath. "I knew it was bothering her in some ways, Russ. She spends more time at work than not nowadays. Angie said she's been drinking more than she used to. Angie said where Brennan used to have water with her lunch, or the very rare soda, she's been having mimosa's, or a glass of wine, sometimes a beer. Brennan's losing some of that confidence she's had lately. I know she's gone back to just taking off for days at a time to places unknown."

"See? That's what I mean." Russ said with a sniff, shaking his head. "Booth's hurting her, and I can't make him go away. Tempe doesn't want me to do anything this time. She's benched me during Booth's freeze out. So, blaming Booth and being a total jackass toward him is...cathartic, in a way. I can't make him go away, but I can make him feel guilty."

"That's...devious." Hodgins said, eyes wide.

"I know." Russ nodded. "I also plan on letting it slip that I'm trying to convince Tempe to move here. Which _I am_. _We_ _all are_." he added. "You see, Hodgins, Tempe doesn't disappear to nowhere. She's been coming to spend time with us lately. Which is where my guilt for her being hurt comes into play. I was going to try and convince her to stay an extra night and drive home the next morning, but I didn't. Everything else...everything else I lay at Booth's feet."

Hodgins looked at Russ as if seeing him for the first time as the son of a devious criminal. Max Keenan was sneaky at best, dastardly at worse. A modern day gangster, if you will. He was able to sweet talk his way out of trouble, and often hid in plain sight. He executed his enemies, and those who threatened his family. He hid money. Capable of making people feel threatened with a single look. Russ, who Hodgins often thought to be nothing like his father, was proving he was just as sneaky as Max. The real question, though, was how much he took after Max.

"I know what you're thinking, and it's not true. I'm not planning on offing Booth. I prefer people to live with what they've done." Russ said with a sigh, breaking Hodgins out of his thoughts.

"That's...uh...good, I think." Hodgins said, clearing his throat nervously.

"I guess." Russ shrugged. After a moment, he took a deep breath and stood up straighter. "Look, I gotta get going. But, here," he said, taking a couple of papers from his pocket and handing them to Hodgins, "go ahead and take her home."

"Russ...what..."

"I know we said ten days, but we changed our minds. Tempe deserves to be somewhere...more familiar to her. With her friends and...you guys." he said, gritting his teeth.

"You mean her other family?" Hodgins asked, smiling as he looked over the papers.

"Yeah." Russ said grudgingly. "But fair warning. We're planning on coming up to see her this weekend to check on her."

"That's fair. You know," Hodgins said, "just because we consider each other family, doesn't mean we're trying to take her away from you."

"Yeah. See you, Hodgins." Russ said, turning and opening his car door without another word.

* * *

Hodgins rode up the elevator to the fourth floor, preparing himself for his wife's squeal of joy when she saw the papers he was holding. Say what you will about Max and Russ, but when it came down to it, they cared more about Brennan than people knew.

Stepping out onto the floor, he nodded to the nurses as he had done everyday he was here, and turned his focus back to the door at the end of the hall. Seeing his wife sitting in the chair by the window, he smiled. She was going to be so excited, and happy.

"Hey, guys." he said, entering the room.

"Hi, honey." Angela said with a smile as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "What'd Russ say?"

"Later." he mouthed. "So," he said to the room, "Russ gave me something I think you want."

Angela gasped. "Is that..."

Hodgins nodded. "The consent forms to have Brennan transferred to DC."

He was right, and Angela let out a loud squeal as she stood, hugging him tightly. "That's great!"

Cam smiled from her chair, setting her puzzle book down. "Well, I'll go talk to Andrea, then, and see when we can move her." she said, standing and holding her hand out for the papers.

"So, where's Booth?" Hodgins asked as he sat down in Cam's seat.

"Chapel, I think." his wife said. "So, what'd Russ say?"

Hodgins took a deep breath and told Angela everything Russ had said, almost word for word. From his guilt over letting her down all the way to them trying to convince her to move to North Carolina.

"But...but...they can't do that!" Angela exclaimed. "Her home is with us in DC!"

"Alright, alright, calm down, babe." he said. "Besides, I don't think Brennan would go for that. You know how she feels about the Jeffersonian."

Angela sat back in her chair, letting out a breath. "Yeah, you're right." she smiled.

Cam walked back in, Booth right behind her. "Well, start getting your stuff together." she said. "They're calling for an ambulance and she should be ready to go in about an hour." she smiled.

"Hey, Cam?" Booth said, sitting by Brennan.

"Yeah?"

Reaching into his jean pocket, he pulled out the keys to the truck and held them out to her. "You take the truck. I'm gonna ride with Bones in the ambulance." he said.

"Alright, Seeley." she nodded. "Your bag in the truck?" she asked.

"Yeah." he nodded. "Just keep it with you. Also, call me when you guys get to the hospital, and I'll tell you what room she's gonna be in."

"Uh, Seeley, we'll be right behind you." she said. "It's a non emergency transport, so the ambulance won't be rushing to get there. Chances are at the same time they're pulling her out of the ambulance, we'll be parking."

"Oh." he said. Once Cam went to get her stuff cleared away, he leaned down closer to Bones. "You're going home, Bones. But don't worry. I'll be right beside you the whole time." he whispered, pressing a small kiss to her temple.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I don't own Bones.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, or favorites. It means a lot, guys. Seriously. We finally head back to DC. All together now - Yay!**

 **Oh, just one more thing - if you're travelling for Memorial Day, please be careful out there.**

 **So...yeah. That's it for me. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Uh...excuse me, Agent Booth?"

Booth looked up at the sound of the voice behind him, giving the nurse a smile. "Yes, Nurse Hinkle?" he asked.

"I don't want to bother you, but we'll need you to move out of the way for just a few minutes while we get Dr. Brennan ready for transport." Hinkle said, giving him a gentle smile.

"Oh. Okay." he nodded. "Uh...do I have to leave the room, or..." he asked, standing.

"No, no. Just over by the window should be fine, Agent Booth." she said.

"Alright." he said, moving quickly out of the way, leaning against the window so he could keep an eye on everything.

"You know," Nurse Hinkle said, "we're gonna miss having Dr. Brennan here. I know all the girls at the desk have read every book of hers." she smiled.

"Yeah, well...it's just gonna be nice getting her back to DC." Booth said, watching as the nurse disconnected the heart rate monitor from Brennan. "Is it supposed to beep like that?" he asked, concerned as the heart rate on the screen went flat.

"Oh, yeah. Nothing to worry about, Agent Booth." Nurse Hinkle smiled, turning off the alarms that had begun beeping and making noise. "Once we get her on the other bed, we'll reconnect it, and it'll be fine."

Booth nodded, leaning back against the window again. "How long until we get her moving?"

"I'd say about ten minutes or so." the nurse said. "Then it'll be around four and a half hours before you're back in DC."

"Yeah? Why so long?" he asked. "I mean, it only took just under four to get here." he said, omitting that he was speeding most of the way.

"Well, Dr. Brennan's transport has been marked as a non-emergency, so no sirens, and regular speed." Nurse Hinkle said.

"Oh. Okay." he nodded. Before he could say anything else, another nurse walked into the room.

"Hey, Claire? The ambulance is here."

"Alright. Thanks, Mary." Nurse Hinkle nodded. "Oh, could you bring me a new bag of saline?"

"Sure." Mary nodded, ducking back out of the room.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the three EMT's had helped the two nurses switch Brennan over to the gurney, along with her IV and a smaller heart rate monitor. Booth was relieved when, after they hooked her back up, the monitor showed her heart beating at a steady pace, and all of her other vitals were still normal, as well.

"Oh, can we have a minute, please?" Angela asked as they were about to roll her out of the room.

"Sure." one of the EMT's nodded, he and his partners stepping away.

Angela leaned down and gently kissed her friend's forehead. "We'll see you there, sweetie." she whispered.

"Booth, you need anything before we get going?" Cam asked.

"Nah. I'll meet you guys back in DC." he said, smiling softly. "Be careful."

"Yeah." she nodded. Blowing out a breath, she turned to Angela and Hodgins. "Let's go, guys."

"Alright." Angela said, reaching out to grip Brennan's hand in hers. "Bye, sweetie." she said, turning to follow Cam.

"See you guys." Booth said, waving the paramedics back over. "We're ready now." he said, grabbing Brennan's right hand as he walked with the EMT's down the hallway to the elevator.

"Oh, Agent Booth, just a moment." Nurse Hinkle exclaimed as they got to the elevators, waiting on the doors to open. "Uh...all the ladies who took care of Dr. Brennan signed a card for her." she said, handing Booth a yellow envelope. "We hope she wakes soon." she added.

Booth looked at Nurse Hinkle with slightly teary eyes. "Thanks. Bones will appreciate this." he smiled. "Hey, and thank you for taking such good care of her. All of you." he said.

"It was our pleasure, Agent Booth." she said, giving him a nod. "Take care." she said as the doors opened.

"You, too." he said. He took the time the elevator descended to the first floor to just study Bones. She was still pale, but her bruising had finally begun to fade, and the few cuts she had were beginning to heal, as well. Noticing the EMT's were talking quietly to each other, he leaned down and whispered gently in Brennan's ear, "We're going home, Bones."

Booth had grabbed her hand, hoping when he whispered in her ear she'd squeeze it or something, but was still disheartened when nothing happened. He knew her body needed time to heal itself, but he just wished it would hurry up. He missed talking to Bones. Hearing her laugh. Listening to one of her rambles about some million year old tribe in the middle of the Mojave and their ancient rituals. Seeing the confusion on her face when he started talking about something she didn't understand. And, he especially missed hearing her catchphrase, 'I don't know what that means', which she often used.

The doors opened with a ding, revealing the soothing interior of the first floor of the hospital. Booth hated to think it, but he was going to miss seeing these light yellow walls when he walked to the cafeteria, which he wouldn't miss. Another good thing about going back to DC was the hospital they were going to was only a few blocks away from the diner, meaning he was done with cafeteria food.

Hearing a honk, he jerked out of his thoughts, knowing he needed to pay attention to his surroundings. Looking around, he saw Cam and the others in the truck, sitting idling behind the ambulance in the front circle drive of the hospital. He gave her a nod as she and Hodgins gave him a wave.

"Alright, Agent Booth, if you'll wait just a moment, we'll get her set for the ride and then you can climb on in." one of the EMT's said.

"Yeah, no problem." Booth nodded, watching as they gently lifted the gurney up into the back of the ambulance. Even though he knew it was needed, this was a sight he hoped he'd never see - an unconscious Bones being lifted on a gurney into an ambulance. Booth turned away, and walked the short distance to the truck.

"I'm sorry, Seeley." Cam said softly as she leaned slightly out of the window. She knew this wasn't easy for Booth.

Booth just shook his head. "Uh...if Angela needs them for the trip, there are some crackers in the glove box." he said loud enough for Angela to hear him from the backseat.

"Thank you." she said. "Hodgins, would you hand them here please?" she asked. The truck wasn't moving yet, and she was feeling sick to her stomach. Apparently this kid wasn't going to like being in cars.

"Agent Booth!" one of the EMT's yelled. "We're ready!"

Booth gave him a nod. "Watch yourself, Cam." he said, walking back over to the ambulance and hopping in, the EMT shutting the doors behind him.

"Make sure you buckle up, Agent." the driver said as Booth sat down in one of the cushy seats to the right of Bones' gurney.

"Gotcha." he said, making himself comfortable before buckling his seatbelt and putting the armrests down on either side of him as the third EMT did the same.

"Let's roll, Mike." the EMT said as the second one got into the passenger side. With a slight jolt, the ambulance began moving, and Booth settled in for the four hour trip.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **It might seem weird, but when my father was in the hospital for his bypass, he was there for a little over two weeks. When he finally got to go home, I found myself missing seeing the dark blue walls of the hospital everyday like I had been. It's odd the things you get used in such a short period of time. That's why I put in that bit about Booth and the yellow walls, just FYI.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I don't own Bones. Or the other characters.**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews, for following, or for adding this to your favorites. Glad you are all liking it so much.**

 **In this chapter, we get another glimpse at what's going on in Brennan's mind. I got inspired to write this chapter while watching an episode where she visits her father in prison. Trust me, I had quite the 'AHA' moment before I wrote this.**

 **Okey-dokey. Enough of me. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 _'Some things break and you can't put them back together again. That's just the way it is. I was fine on my own, Max, I was just fine.' (S3 Ep2 - Soccer Mom in the Minivan)_

As Brennan watched herself walk out of the jail after one of her first visits with her father, she thought about those last words she said. Had she truly been fine on her own? Or had she just done what she needed to in order to survive?

Before Max and Russ came back into her life, not to mention Angela, Hodgins, Cam, Booth, plus all the others since, she had done just fine on her own. She had managed to graduate high school with honors, earned three scholarships to college while both maintaining a 4.0 GPA _and_ working two jobs. She had quickly moved up the ladder, metaphorically speaking, to be the top Forensic Anthropologist in the world, not to mention highly respected by her peers.

And she had done all that after being abandoned, with very few friends, and surviving the hell that was the foster care system. Abusive foster fathers, neglectful foster mothers, a few grabby case workers, and the nastiness that came from other children when they discovered you were a foster kid.

Being alone all those years is what pushed her to succeed. She believed emotional attachments would have slowed her down back then. On her own, she didn't have to deal with the feelings and emotions that came with being attached to people. She had learned to turn off her emotions and focus on facts, and logic, to put up a wall, so to speak, that she could hide behind. And it had worked for a while.

Angela was the first one to push past that wall. Through her, Brennan had learned that it was okay to have emotions, and to show them. That part of life was forming bonds and attachments to people. To feel. Angela was the one who encouraged her to give Booth a chance, to let him behind the wall. And she did.

But then, with Booth came Parker, Hodgins, Cam, Zach, and finally, her family. All in the same year. She got used to all of them being around. Then the bottom fell out, and it all started going away, leaving her with that feeling of being abandoned all over again. Especially these last few months. Lately, she had felt more alone than she had in a long time. She knew that as an anthropologist, change was inevitable, and she accepted that. She didn't like it, but she accepted it all the same.

Looking back, however, she came to the conclusion that no, she hadn't truly been fine. She needed those emotional attachments to her friends, her family, to be a whole person. She had simply shut off her emotions so she could overcome and succeed. But that was done.

Maybe...just maybe...it was time for the Brennan of her youth to come back. The one who loved people, and wasn't afraid to show it.

 _'Yes. As soon as I get out of here.'_ she thought. _'Wherever this is.'_ Looking around and trying to see past the white fog like substance, Brennan wondered if there was some kind of door she could get to to get out of here.

* * *

"Hey, how long have we been on the road?" Hodgins asked.

"Uh...about two and a half hours." Cam said, briefly glancing at the clock on the dash. "Why?"

Hodgins shrugged. "Just wondering." he said. "Oh, Wendell said he'd come by the hospital later." he added, looking at his phone. From the back seat, Angela groaned. "What's the matter, babe?" he asked, turning to look back at her.

"I just realized we should probably tell Daisy." she said, reaching for her phone.

It was Cam's turn to groan. "Do we really have to?" she asked. Like most of the others, she didn't mind Daisy for the most part, but in small doses. Not when they were all going to be crammed together in a hospital room or visitor's lounge.

"Well...not really, but it's either we tell her, or Sweets tells her." Angela said. "Either way, you know she's gonna be there." she said, typing in the message.

"Oh, boy." Cam said, her eyes still on the road. For some reason, the lights on top of the ambulance had just came on, and it was getting further away.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Hodgins asked, seeing the same thing she was.

"What? What is it?" Angela asked, leaning around Hodgins to look out the windshield. "What..."

"Booth, what's going on up there?" Cam asked into her phone. "Oh my god." she exclaimed.

"What? What is it?" Angela asked in a panic.

"Yes, yes. We'll catch up." Cam said, nodding. "I'll call you in a bit, Booth." she said, hanging up.

"Wait. Why is the ambulance speeding up with the sirens on?" Angela asked, staring out the windshield at the speeding ambulance quite a distance in front of them.

"Cam? What's going on?" Hodgins asked.

"Uh...Brennan went into respiratory distress, and her heart rate increased rapidly, so...just as a precaution, the hospital has now classed her transport as an emergency."

"Oh my god." Angela said, her eyes filling with tears. "And...is she..."

"No, Booth said she's calmed down, but they don't want to take any risks." Cam said. "He also said that we should stay at the speed limit, and just meet them there in a couple hours." she said.

"Well...that...that's just stupid!" Hodgins sputtered. "I mean, our friend is in trouble and we're supposed to just drive at a speed that equals a tip toe to the hospital?"

Cam nodded. "Yeah. But you know what? When have I ever listened to Booth?" she asked, smiling at Hodgins as she pressed on the gas pedal, increasing her speed to ten miles over the speed limit. "There. That should cut out a little time." she said.

Hodgins laughed, and despite her worry, so did Angela.

* * *

"Hang in there, Bones." Booth said as he held her hand, leaning as far forward in his seat as he could. "How much longer to the hospital?" he asked the driver, Mike as the EMT that had been sitting beside him, Oliver, worked on Bones.

"Uh...I'd guess about forty miles." he answered.

"Alright." Booth nodded. Looking back to Bones, he sighed. "Just hang on a bit longer, baby. Please." he said, pleading with her. Booth held her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles gently as he stared at her. He wanted nothing more than to undo his seat belt and sit on the bed beside her, but knew he couldn't.

"How's it looking, Oliver?" he asked.

Oliver placed his stethoscope around his neck and smiled at Booth. "Her heart rate's gone back down, and is holding steady again, so that's something." he said. "We just need to keep an eye on her for the next fifteen minutes or so."

"Ambulance 4-0-5 transport to GWU Hospital."..."GWU Hospital. Go ahead 4-0-5."..."Ambulance 4-0-5 transport roughly ten minutes out. Requesting medical teams standing by."..."10-4 4-0-5. Medical unit standing by in the ambulance bay."..."10-4."

"Hold on, Agent Booth. Sharp turn coming up." Mike said about five minutes later.

No sooner did Booth grab onto the arm rest of his seat, he felt the ambulance turning into the parking lot, and his body was moved forward. Before he could get his seat belt undone, the back doors were thrown open.

"Agent Booth, how are you?" Doctor Barrett asked, jumping into the back of the ambulance.

"Hey, Doc." Booth smiled. "Been better, honestly." he said.

"I can understand that." he said. "Well, if you'd just go ahead and get out, we can get Dr. Brennan moved." he said.

"Right. Right." Booth nodded, moving quickly to jump out and stand behind the ambulance.

"Alright. Let's get blood for labs, and call Radiology to set up a series of x-rays and a CT scan." the doctor said.

"Yes, Doctor Barrett."

"Okay, let's get moving." Dr. Barrett said, getting out of the ambulance as the EMT's moved the gurney to the ground.

With no other choice, Booth jogged along behind the group, hoping for some answers soon.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I own nothing.**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews, for following, or adding this to your favorites.**

 **HOLY CRAP! Been a while, yeah? Let me start off by apologizing for the wait. There are no excuses except to say that writer's block is a bitch. I have written and re-written this chapter a few times, and even though I'm still not entirely happy with it, I'm posting it anyway.**

 **So, without further ado, here we go. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Uh...call me if anything changes. And I mean right away, too." Booth said.

Cam nodded, trying not to roll her eyes. "I know, Seeley. Believe me, I know." she said, smiling at him. "We've been over this before, remember? Almost every time you leave this room."

Booth nodded absently, feeling a bit foolish. "Right. Right." he said. "I'm sorry, Cam, it's just..."

"You're worried." she finished. "I get it, Booth. I really do. Now, get going."

"Right." he said again. "I shouldn't be long, though." he said, looking at Bones one more time before he turned and left.

"I tell you, Brennan," Cam said, leaning to the side and brushing some of Brennan's hair back, "you better wake up soon. Seeley's driving himself insane waiting for you, you know? We all are." she said, sighing. Truth be told, Cam was a lot more attached to Brennan than she let on. In the years that she'd been at the Jeffersonian, the little group had become her family, and her family wouldn't be whole again until Brennan woke up.

* * *

Putting the SUV into park, Booth smiled seeing Rebecca's front door fly open to reveal Parker, grinning and waving like mad. Laughing as he got out, he jogged up the driveway to the door.

"DAD!" Parker greeted happily, hugging him as soon as he was in reach.

"Hey, buddy." Booth smiled, ruffling his son's hair as he hugged him. "Why are you waiting up here instead of on the sidewalk?" he asked.

Parker shrugged, shutting the door behind his dad as he followed him in. "Mom's outside on the phone with Nana, and she told me to stay in here." he explained.

"Ah, I see." Booth nodded. Rubbing his hands together, he asked, "You ready to go?"

"Uh...almost. I just gotta grab something I wanna give Bones." Parker said, rushing off up the stairs.

"Seeley?"

Turning around, Booth waved at his ex. "Hey, Bec."

"Where's Parker?" she asked, looking around for her absent son.

"Upstairs." he said, nodding his head behind him. "He said he had something for Bones, so..." he said, trailing off.

"How is she?" Rebecca asked, frowning.

Booth scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed. "She's...better. Most of her facial lacerations are almost healed, and she's off the breathing machine. She's still unconscious, though, but she's getting better." he said. "Or, that's what the doctor's say, anyway. For me, she'll be better when she's awake."

Rebecca nodded, giving him a sad smile. She knew her ex was in love with his partner, and to have her in such a condition must be hell for him. "I'm sorry, Seeley." she said.

"Thanks, Bec." he said, turning as he heard his son thundering back down the stairs, his backpack slung over one shoulder. "You ready now, pal?"

Parker nodded. "Uh-huh." he said, walking over to hug his mom. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye, sweetie." Rebecca said, kissing his head. "You behave at the hospital, young man."

"I will." he said, rolling his eyes as he pulled away. "C'mon, Dad!" he exclaimed, heading for the door.

"I'll have him back around seven, Bec." Booth said over his shoulder, following his son.

Rebecca nodded, giving a small wave. "That's fine. Tell everyone hello for me, won't you?"

"Sure." he said, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.

* * *

"Now, remember to use your indoor voice, Parks." Booth said, parking the SUV in the hospital parking lot.

Parker sighed and rolled his eyes. "I know, Dad." he said. "There's also no running in the halls, opening doors, pressing buttons on machines, and no playing in the elevator."

"Right." Booth nodded, killing the ignition. "I guess we've gone over this a time or two, huh?"

"Yep." Parker nodded, unlatching his seatbelt. "Now, can we go? I wanna see Bones." he said.

"Let's go." Booth said, opening his door. "Slow down, pal. Your mom would never let me hear the end of it if you got hit by a car with me."

Parker stopped where he was, shouldering his backpack as he waited for Booth. As his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulder, he walked a bit closer. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just...I know you said that Bones is gonna be okay, but I wanna see for myself that she's...you know." he shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know." Booth said, knowing exactly what his son was feeling. It was the same thing he felt during the drive down to North Carolina that first day. He had been told that Bones was going to be alright, and was still alive, but he couldn't believe it until he saw it for himself with his own two eyes.

Trying to distract his son during the final leg of their journey to Bones' room, he smiled down at him. "Hey, I forgot to congratulate you on your soccer team's win last weekend." he said, guiding Parker into the hospital as the automatic doors parted, allowing them entry.

"Ha! Thanks, Dad." Parker smiled, his face lighting up. "It was a good game. But, Coach said it's his last. He's moving away next month." he said as the elevator doors opened with a quiet 'ding', and he and his dad stepped on. "Can I push the button?" he asked, smiling up at Booth.

"Sure, Parks. Three." Booth answered, chuckling when Parker immediately reached out and pressed the button. "So...what is it you wanted to give Bones, buddy?" he asked as the elevator started it's ascent.

Parker reached into his backpack and pulled out a plushy stuffed skeleton. "I know it doesn't look like an _actual_ skeleton, but I won it by getting the highest score on a test in science class, and I wanted Bones to have it."

"That's nice, pal. I think she'll like that." Booth said, squeezing his son's shoulder. "But...if you won it, why give it away? Don't you want to keep it?"

Parker shook his head, his blond curls bouncing as he did. "Nah. Besides, Bones is the one who got me interested in science, and it's cause of her that I like it so much." he said, looking down at the toy. "Plus, Bones told me once that she lost all of her stuffed toys when her family left, so I just thought..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"That's great, Parker. Really." Booth said, smiling. He was always proud of Parker, but even more so now. As the elevator doors opened to the third floor, he took a moment and pulled Parker aside before they walked toward Bones' room. "Listen, Parker, before we go in to see Bones, I want to make sure you want to do this."

"Dad..." Parker sighed, rolling his eyes.

"No, listen, buddy. Bones...Bones doesn't look like herself. I mean, she's got a lot of cuts on her face, and...well, she just doesn't look like she usually does." Booth said, looking his son in the eye. "I just wanted to make sure you're up for this."

"I am." Parker said with a firm nod. "I know she's not gonna look like Bones, but I still wanna see her." he said. "I need to see her, Dad." he added in a softer voice, his eyes tearing up.

Booth nodded, clearing his throat as he began guiding his son down the hall. "Alright, then. Let's go."

* * *

Cam looked up as the door to Brennan's room slowly opened, and smiled seeing the curly blonde locks of Parker as he entered.

"Hey, Parker." she said.

"Hi, Dr. Saroyan." Parker said, waving at her. Turning to his left, he couldn't help but stare at the unconscious form on the bed.

"I think I'm going to go to the cafeteria for a bit." Cam said, grabbing her purse as she stood. She knew that Parker and Booth needed some time alone with Brennan, and probably without her there. "I'll be back later." she said, smiling gently at Booth as she walked past him.

Booth waited until he heard the door click softly closed behind Cam before turning to his son. "If it helps, pal, she looks a lot better than she did." he said, not getting a response.

Parker just stared at Bones as he stepped closer to the bed, not taking his eyes off her. She had a lot of little cuts all over her face and arms, but they looked to be healing. There was a faint purple blotch on her upper arm, just below the sleeve of the hospital gown, which also looked to be healing. He reached out and gently grabbed rubbed her fingers, not wanting to interfere with the IV in the top of her hand.

"Hi, Bones." he said softly. He waited, hoping she'd open her eyes and give him that bright smile she always did when she saw him, but she didn't. The only noise in the room was the beeping of the machines she was hooked up to. "I brought you something." he said, holding up the plushy. "Mrs. Warner, my science teacher, tallied up the test results, and I got the top score on the most tests this year, so I won this. Isn't that neat? Out of all her classes, I'm the best." he said with a smile. "But, I wanted you to have him since you're the one who got me interested in science to begin with. It's my favorite class, ya know."

Booth watched from across the room as his son spoke quietly to his partner and best friend. He couldn't hear what Parker was saying to Bones, but gave a little smile as Parker tucked the plush toy down beside Bones' left arm.

"I remembered that you told me you didn't have a stuffed toy since you were young, and I hope you like him." Parker added, running his fingers lightly over her knuckles. "I miss you, Bones, and I hope you wake up soon." he said sadly.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Hopefully the next one won't be so far off.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I don't own Bones. If I did, we'd be going on another couple of seasons. And Booth would be shirtless more.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews, for following, and for adding to your favorites list. I'm absolutely tickled that so many of you are enjoying this.**

 **Anyway...I got nothing else, so Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Baby Booth." Angela said happily as she and Hodgins entered Brennan's room.

"Hi, Angela." Parker said, going over to hug her. "Hi, Dr. Hodgins." he added, smiling at the entomologist.

"Hey, man." Hodgins greeted, ruffling Parker's hair. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see Bones, so Dad brought me." Parker shrugged.

"They didn't have that pecan pie you like, Booth, so I got you the apple." Angela said, setting the take-out bag on the table beside him.

"That's fine, Ange." Booth smiled, more than ready for the pie. "I prefer apple, actually."

"Well, here you are." she smiled, handing him the container with the two pieces of apple pie.

"Thanks." he said, opening it and immediately digging in with the plastic fork that was included.

"I got a call from Amy while we were out." Angela said nonchalant.

"Yeah?"

"Yes," Angela nodded. "She wanted to know how Bren was, and said they received a call from some attorney about the accident."

"What?" he asked, looking up with a frown.

"Apparently, the family of the woman who hit Bren are offering to pay her medical bills." she said. "And, the only contact they could find was Russ, who told the attorney to get in touch with Max, who then told him to get in touch with one of us."

"Well," Booth shrugged, "I haven't had any calls or visitors, so..."

Angela nodded again, turning from Booth to Parker. "Are you hungry, Parker?"

"A little, yeah." Parker shrugged, turning from his conversation with Hodgins. "But Mom gave me some money for a snack from the vending machine."

"Well," she smiled, "you're in luck. We always get extra food from the Diner in case we get hungry later, so what would you like?" she asked, motioning to the food containers on the table.

"Yeah," Hodgins said, coming to stand by his wife. "We got a couple of Roast Beef and Swiss sandwiches, Ham and Cheddar, and I think there's even a couple Egg Salad in there, too."

"Oh, cool!" Parker exclaimed, practically bouncing over. "I love the Diner's Egg Salad. They always put loads of pickles in it." he said, eagerly grabbing one as Angela held it out to him.

"Well, dig in, Baby Booth." Angela said as she and the others chuckled.

* * *

People came and went all throughout the day. Wendell dropped by with the other interns, minus Clark, who had classes that day. Sweets had even stopped by with Daisy, who, to everyone's relief, wasn't her usual giddy self. While the others talked quietly, she had taken it amongst herself to sit by Brennan and give her a manicure.

Angela and Cam, who had been watching, frowned in confusion when they saw what she was doing, exchanging curious glances with one another.

"Hey, Daisy." Cam said as they joined her by Brennan's bed. "Uh...what are you doing?"

Daisy shrugged. "Giving Dr. Brennan a manicure." she said, not looking up from what she was doing. "Just because she's...here...doesn't mean her nails can't look nice."

"Oh." Angela blinked. "That's really sweet of you, Daisy."

"I agree." Cam nodded.

"How are you holding up, Daisy?" Angela asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine." she said, tilting her head as she looked up at them. "Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Cam started, "you're not usually this..."

"Subdued." Angela finished.

Daisy shrugged again, going back to Brennan's nails. "It's hard to be my usual bouncy self when Dr. Brennan is lying here, and we have no idea when, or even if, she's going to wake up."

"Daisy, she's going to wake up. You just...you have to believe that." Angela said.

Shaking her head, Daisy said, "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Cam asked.

"I'm a scientist. I don't have blind faith." she answered.

"Okay, then." Angela said slowly. "Well," she added, clearing her throat, "for what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job. I mean, Bren's nails look really good, Daisy." she smiled.

"Thank you." Daisy said, flashing them a blinding smile.

* * *

To everyone's immense relief, Sweets and Daisy left not long after she finished giving Brennan a manicure. Later that night, when it was just Booth in the room, he sat in the chair beside her bed, holding her hand as he quietly talked to her, and smiled as he saw what a good job Daisy had done. Daisy had trimmed up her nails a bit, and gave them a coat of light pink polish. It wasn't something he was used to seeing on Bones, but he liked it.

"I tell ya, Bones, you're gonna be sorry you missed today. For once, Daisy was actually somewhat tolerable." he said, chuckling quietly. "I don't think she squealed even once." Gently running his thumb over her knuckles, he smiled sadly. "The whole squint squad was here today. Except Clark, anyway. He had classes that he couldn't miss. But hey, he sent a card along with Wendell. It's got some sort of bone or something on the front. I'm sure you'll know what it is immediately, but..." he trailed off. "Parks came to visit, too. Rebecca had some work to do, so she let me have him for the whole day, can you believe it? He crashed on the sofa by the window about three, and after he woke up, I took him to the park that's just around the corner for a bit to toss a ball around before I had to take him back. It was so much fun, Bones. I wish you coulda joined us."

Booth's eyes teared up as the only response he got was the quiet beeping of the machines.

"Well, maybe when you're outta here, huh?" he asked. Clearing his throat, he said, "According to the docs, you're doing a lot better, Bones. I don't know if you felt it or what, but they finally took the chest tube out yesterday. I'm proud of you, Bones. You're slowly getting better, but I know it's only a matter of time until you wake up."

His shoulders slumped when there was still no response from his partner. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it, closing his eyes as he did. "I'm sorry, Bones, but I need to leave you for a bit. Don't worry, I'm not going far." he whispered.

Standing up with a grimace, he walked to the door, flicking the switch and shutting off all the lights except the ones above her bed as he opened the door. He hated to leave her alone, but his stomach was rumbling, and did so periodically as he rode the elevator down to the first floor, intending to join the others for dinner.

"Hey, guys." he said as he sat at their table.

"Hey." they greeted together.

"Any change?" Cam asked, taking a bite of her food.

Booth shook his head. "No." he said, pouring the small pack of sugar into his iced tea.

"How much time off do you have left?" Angela asked, curiously.

"Why?" he asked.

"Well...I was just thinking that if you have to go back to work soon, I could start spending more time here." she said, shifting in her chair.

"Nah, that's alright. Cullen sent me a family medical leave form by messenger while you guys were at the Diner earlier, so I'm good." he answered, shrugging.

"Oh!" Angela exclaimed. "Well...that's...good, right?"

"I think so." Booth nodded. "I mean, I get the time off to spend with Bones, and I still get paid, so it's win-win, really." he smiled.

"Man, Cullen's awesome." Hodgins muttered, smiling as he scraped the final remains of his chocolate pudding out of the cup.

"Yeah, I suppose he is." Booth nodded. "Plus, he's fond of Bones, so there's that." he added.

Angela was about to change topics when she noticed a nurse run into the cafeteria, going to the table where Brennan's doctor sat, slowly sipping his coffee. Leaning a little further over in her chair, she tried to hear what they were talking about more clearly, only catching bits and pieces.

"...we tried..."

"...Damn! I must've left it in my locker."

"...she's...you're needed immediately..."

"...alright, then, let's go."

"What's goin' on with that?" Hodgins asked, also watching as both doctor and nurse practically ran out of the room.

"Probably some emergency, from the looks of it." Cam said absently.

"Hmmm." Angela hummed, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "You done, babe?"

Hodgins nodded, pushing his plate away from him. "Yeah, I am."

"Me, too." Booth said, standing up.

"Well, since we're all finished, I say we get back up there." Cam said. "I left my cell up there, and I need to call Michelle."

"Let's go." Booth said, leading the way.

* * *

"I wonder if I could get their recipe for the pudding." Hodgins said as the four stepped off the elevator. "I think that's the best pudding I've ever had."

"Babe," Angela said, rolling her eyes, "you've been talking about pudding since we left the cafeteria. We get it." she laughed.

"What?" Hodgins asked in an innocent voice. "I like pudding, and the way they make it here is better than how Chef makes it at home."

"Again, you've said that about a dozen times." Angela said.

"What the hell?" Booth murmured as they turned the corner, seeing a couple of the nurses rushing into Bones' room. "What's going on?" he wondered, his pulse speeding up as he nearly sprinted the small distance to the door.

"Oh, no." Cam whispered as the three came to an abrupt halt, fearing the worst.

Opening the door, Booth had barely taken a step inside when one of the nurses attempted to push him back out of the room.

"Mr. Booth, I'm going to need you to wait out in the hall." she said.

"What's going on?" Booth asked, panicking as he tried to see Bones.

"Wait in the hall, Mr. Booth!" she repeated, pushing harder on his chest in an attempt to get him out.

"Not until I know what the hell's going on!" he yelled, pushing past her. Feeling his heart leaping up into his throat, he walked the rest of the way into the room, gasping as he looked at the bed.

"Oh, my god." he whispered, vision blurring as his eyes filled with tears.

Bones was awake.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUN!**

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I don't own Bones. If only, right?**

 **Thank you all so, so much for the reviews, adding to your favorites, or for following. It means a lot.**

 **So...been a bit, huh? Super sorry about that. I had a minor bout of writer's block regarding this chapter. I mean, I knew what I wanted to write, but I couldn't get it to come out how I wanted. But, here we are.**

 **And...go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

"Bones?" Booth whispered, tears slowly falling to his cheeks.

"Agent Booth, I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside while I examine Dr. Brennan." Doctor Barrett said from his position on Brennan's right side.

"No, nuh-uh, not gonna happen." Booth said, shaking his head. "I'll stand back here, and keep out of the way, but I am. Not. Leaving. This. Room." he said in a voice usually saved for interrogating suspects.

Doctor Barret sighed, knowing Booth was serious. "Alright, alright. You can stay, just stay out of the way." he said. Turning back to Brennan, he continued his examination. "Dr. Brennan, do you know who I am?" he asked, wanting to test her brain function.

Booth, and everyone else in the room, didn't dare breathe as they waited for an answer.

"Doct...Bar..." she said in a raspy voice, coughing as she finished trying to say his name.

Booth tilted his head back against the wall, tears falling toward his ears as he silently thanked God. The whole time she'd been in a coma, he'd been wishing, hoping, and praying, to hear her voice again, and it had finally happened. Looking over as he heard a gasp, he saw Angela and Cam holding hands as they, too, cried in relief.

"Doctor Barrett, that's right." he nodded. "Do you know where you are?"

Brennan's eyes moved left and right as she tried to guess where she was. "Hos...pi...tal." she rasped.

Doctor Barrett nodded, smiling at Brennan. "Correct, Dr. Brennan. Do you know what happened to you?" he asked.

Brennan frowned at the doctor as she tried to remember, and couldn't. "I...wha...wh...no." she said, eyes welling up with tears as she began to panic.

"Okay, okay, it's alright." Doctor Barrett said in a soothing voice, trying to calm her. "It's to be expected that you don't remember, Dr. Brennan. You've been in a coma for a few weeks, so a slight case of amnesia is expected."

"So, it's normal that she apparently doesn't remember anything, doc?" Booth asked from his spot at the back of the room.

Doctor Barrett nodded, turning to look at him as he answered. "Absolutely. I expect she'll regain full memory in a few days or so, maybe a bit longer." he said. "Alright, Dr. Brennan," he said, turning back to his patient, "are you in any pain?"

"Ye...yes." Brennan answered, shakily. "My...my arm." she said, feeling her left arm throb a bit.

"Alright. I'll have one of the nurses give you something for it, and in the meantime, I'll let you and your friends catch up." Doctor Barrett said, grabbing the clipboard from the table and nodding at the small group as he passed. "I'll come check on her later."

"Thanks, doc." Booth said, not taking his eyes off Brennan.

"Sure." he nodded, closing the door behind him as he and the nurses left quietly.

* * *

"Sweetie!" Angela screeched, the first one to break and dart to her friend's bedside. "Don't you ever do that to me again, missy!" she sobbed, hugging Brennan gingerly so as not to hurt her.

"Ange...I...have you been here the whole time?" Brennan asked slowly, her voice still raspy.

"Of course." Angela said, pulling away slightly, giving her friend a watery smile. "Where else would I be?"

"Home." Brennan said, frowning. "You need to take care of yourself and the baby, Angela." she said slowly, still groggy.

"Honey, I have been. Trust me." Angela said, grabbing her hand. "I go home every night and come back in the morning, I eat several times a day..."

"More like several times an hour, babe." Hodgins chimed from his space behind Angela.

"...and Hodgie and I go for walks around the hospital, so I'm good." she finished, ignoring her husband. "Not to mention I don't spend very long on my feet, and when I do, Hodgie insists I wear sneakers or flats instead of my heels. Everything's good."

"And your prenatal vitamins?" Brennan asked.

"Taking them." Angela nodded, smiling at her friend and her worrisome nature. The woman literally just regained consciousness and she was more worried about her friend than herself.

"Good." Brennan said with a weak smile. "I wouldn't want you suffering because I'm in the hospital." she said.

"Here, Brennan." Cam said, handing her a cup from the bedside table. "Some water might help your throat."

"Thanks, Cam." Brennan smiled, taking a sip of the cool water, followed by another before she downed the rest. Clearing her throat, she smiled. "That's much better, thanks."

Hodgins, seeing Booth still standing against the wall staring at Brennan, instinctively knew the two partners needed a moment alone. "Hey, Ange, why don't we go out and call everyone and tell them Dr. B's awake, huh?" he asked, gently trying to guide his wife away from the bed.

"What? But...she...Hodgie..." Angela protested.

Cam, catching on, nodded as she joined the three. "Right. We also should call her family." she said, walking behind them.

"Well, why can't you two...I should stay..." Angela said, still protesting as Hodgins and Cam herded her out.

Smiling as the door closed behind the three, Booth slowly made his way over to Brennan's bedside. Locking eyes with her, the two just stared at one another for what seemed an eternity before Brennan broke the silence.

"Hey, Booth."

Those two words were all it took for Booth to crack, and he instantly felt tears begin to run down his cheeks, falling ungracefully into the chair beside her bed. Reaching for her hand, he grabbed it tightly in both of his and bowed his head, allowing the tears to drop onto the floor.

"What...Booth?"

"I was so scared, Bones." he said, lifting his head to look at her. "I was so scared you weren't going to...I didn't want to lose you, Bones, and I kept thinking 'What if', you know? Over these last almost three weeks, I just...I just..."

Giving it all the strength she had, Brennan squeezed his hand with hers that he still held in his grip. "It's alright, Booth. I'm alright now." she said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Booth gave a shaky laugh, pressing his trembling lips to her hand again. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Bones." he said seriously, his soulful brown eyes meeting her vibrant blue.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I think we all know by now that I own nothing - zero, zilch, nada - of Bones, except a couple seasons on DVD.**

 **Thank you for reviewing, for following, or for adding to your favorites. I know I say that every chapter, but I mean it.**

 **So, it's been a bit longer than I wanted to update this. I've been working on this for the past week, but life has a way of getting in the way. (For those of you who are friends of mine on FB, you'll know what I mean). But, here we are. And, it's longer than I originally intended, but I don't think I'll be getting too many complaints when you read it.**

 **I probably won't update again until after Christmas, so let me wish you all a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah** **, or Happy Kwanzaa, or just a Happy Sunday, if you don't celebrate anything. :)**

 **Alright...Enjoy!**

* * *

The next several days passed in a bit of a blur for Brennan. She slept quite a bit, which alarmed her friends until the doctor assured them it was natural for her to be groggy for a few days after waking, which made them relax. Finally, she was able to stay awake longer than two hours at a time, much to the relief of her friends, and to herself, as well.

"Alright, sweetie," Angela said, grabbing her bag off the window ledge, "we're heading out to the diner for lunch. Anything we can sneak you back?" she asked, draping the strap over her shoulder.

"Actually, there is." Brennan nodded. "I'm dying for one of their thick chocolate milkshakes." she said, eyes staring off into the distance dreamily.

Angela laughed as she saw her friend absently lick her lips. "One thick chocolate milkshake coming up." she said, waving as she and Hodgins left the room, heading to their daily lunch date.

"Thanks, Ange." she called. Turning her head to look at Booth, who was sitting in his regular seat beside her bed as he worked on a crossword, she sighed. "Did the doctor say when I'd be able to get out of this bed?" she asked.

Booth shook his head as he chuckled silently. Bones had asked that question every two hours or so since she'd started staying awake for long stretches of time. She desperately wanted to be able to get up, even if just in a wheelchair. For a woman who spent more time on her feet than not, always going somewhere and doing something, it was pure hell to have to stay in a bed.

"Nope, sorry, Bones." he answered, full out laughing when she growled, turning back to stare grumpily at the ceiling. "Well, hey, how 'bout you help me with this puzzle, yeah?" he asked.

"I don't feel like it, Booth." she said, sighing again. "How about, instead of your puzzle, you help me with something?" she suggested.

"What, Bones?" Booth asked, setting his book down.

Brennan reached her hand over to the rolling table, pulling it closer to the bed, and grabbed a large manila envelope. "With this." she said, handing it to him.

"What's this?" he asked, turning it over to inspect it.

"Open it, Booth." she said.

Frowning, Booth opened the flap, pulling out a small stack of legal papers. As he glanced through them, his eyes focused on a very large amount of money that the family of the woman who caused the accident were offering to pay Bones as compensation, and he let out a low whistle.

"Geez, Bones," he said, reading, "are these real?" he asked, looking up at her before looking back down.

"Yes, they are." Brennan said. "What am I going to do?"

"Well..."

"I mean, I have plenty of my own money, Booth, I don't need theirs." she said, shaking her head.

"Bones, I...this is a lot of money." he said, still stunned.

"Yes, but they didn't cause the accident, Booth. Their mother did. Her family shouldn't have to pay for _her_ mistake. She paid with her life, Booth. I wouldn't feel right taking their money." Brennan said solemnly.

"But, Bones..." Booth said again. "This is...I mean..."

"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?" she asked, wanting Booth to tell her she was doing the right thing. She knew she was, however, but she wanted to hear Booth confirm it.

Booth set the papers and the envelope on the cabinet to the left of him, and turned to face Bones. Grabbing her hand and smiling gently at her, he said, "I think you've already decided, Bones."

"But I want your opinion, Booth."

Nodding his head, he said, "You're right, Bones. I mean, it's your call, but I agree with you. Don't take the money."

"Okay." Brennan said, letting out a breath. "If I sign those, would you go to the lobby and wait for the messenger to come pick them up?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Bones." he smiled, handing her the envelope and his pen. "I could use a walk." he added, standing and stretching.

* * *

Not long after Booth left, Jackie, one of Brennan's day nurses, came in wearing a bright smile.

"Good morning, Dr. Brennan." she said cheerily. "Or, good nearly afternoon, I suppose." she laughed.

"Hello, Jackie." Brennan smiled. No matter how poorly she felt, or how much she wanted out of the hospital bed she was in, it was impossible to take it out on Jackie. The woman was always so cheery, and her mood was very infectious.

"I just need to give you a couple of pills, honey." Jackie said, handing a small plastic cup to her before pouring her a glass of water to chase them down with. "Oh! I have some good news for you. Your doctor left a note in your chart clearing you to start taking short walks starting today, provided you're able to stand up without getting dizzy." she smiled.

Brennan's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?" she asked excitedly. At Jackie's nod, Brennan threw back the blankets on her bed, trying to get up. "Well, let's go!" she exclaimed, eager to get up and get mobile again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I know you're excited, Doc, but pump the brakes a bit, huh." Jackie said, placing her hand on Brennan's shoulder.

"I don't know what that means." Brennan said, frowning.

"It means slow down a bit, honey." Jackie said. "After all, you haven't used your leg muscles in a while, so they're not going to move as quick as you want, anyway."

"Oh." Brennan sighed, shoulders slumping.

"But, look on the bright side - you _do_ get to get out of this bed. And, I guarantee that a walk to the end of the hall and back will take at least fifteen minutes." Jackie said, trying to keep Brennan's spirits up.

"Yes, I suppose that is good news." Brennan smiled, feeling excited again at the prospect of seeing something besides the hospital room she was currently in. "When can I go?" she asked.

"Just as soon as your friend comes back." Jackie smiled. "I know he'll be just as excited as you about this." she said.

Brennan laughed, nodding. "He will be."

"In the meantime, let me get you some non-slip socks, Dr. Brennan. I know it's carpet, but I don't wanna take any chances." Jackie said, going to the storage cabinet in the corner.

"Alright." she said.

"I know they're not the most stylish, but these are the only ones we have." Jackie said, holding a pair of grey, fuzzy socks with non-skid decals on the top and bottom.

"No, no. Those are quite alright, Jackie." Brennan said. "Besides, I'm not here to win any fashion contests, so it doesn't matter."

Jackie laughed as she put the socks on Brennan's feet. "I think you're the only one. We actually had a patient one time that insisted on being in full makeup the entire time she was here." she said. "Even in surgery."

"Well, that's not me. I only wear makeup if I have to, like to work or a function." Brennan smiled.

"I'm the same way, honey. As soon as I get home, the hair comes down, the makeup comes off, and it's sweats and a t-shirt." Jackie said, smiling when she heard Brennan laughing.

"Me, too." Brennan laughed. "I hate being all dressed up all the time. In fact, there are times on the weekend, when I'm home alone, that I just sit around in my bathrobe." she laughed, which made Jackie laugh.

"Oh, I used to do that. But, it gave my husband too easy access, and that's how we ended up with six children." she said.

* * *

This was the scene Booth walked in on. Both Jackie, one of the more friendly nurses he'd ever met, and his partner slash best friend, laughing their heads off.

"What's goin' on in here?" he asked with a smile.

"Just a little girl talk, Agent Booth." Jackie said, winking at Brennan. Composing herself, she turned back to Brennan. "Would you like to go now?"

"Oh, yes, please." Brennan smiled, nodding.

"Go? Where?" Booth asked, looking between Bones and Jackie.

"Well, the doctor has cleared Dr. Brennan here for short walks, and she's eager to go." Jackie said.

"Hey, that's great, Bones!" Booth exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide smile.

Holding her hand out to Brennan, Jackie said, "Just grab my hand and pull yourself up whenever you're ready, honey."

Brennan took a deep breath and grabbed the nurse's hand, trying to sit herself up. However, her arm started shaking and she lost her grip, falling backward. "Sorry." she said, turning red in embarrassment.

"No worries, honey. Just take your time and then try again." Jackie said encouragingly.

Booth moved to the other side of the bed, grabbing Bones' left hand in his left and placing his right hand on her back. "Whenever you're ready, Bones, I'm here to help." he said.

Nodding, Brennan took another deep breath and gripped Jackie's and Booth's hands, and pulled herself to a sitting positon, smiling bashfully when Booth and Jackie cheered.

"Alright, let's swing your legs over the edge, here, and then we'll slowly let you stand up." Jackie said, smiling.

"Okay." Brennan nodded. Suddenly, though, she was extremely nervous. "Booth? Would you help me again?" she asked, searching for him.

Walking around to stand in front of her, Booth held his hand out for her. "You got it, Bones. Just take your time."

Gripping both hands as tight as she could, and with Jackie's free hand wrapped around her arm, Brennan slowly stood up. "Whoa." she mumbled, not used to the height.

"Alright, any dizziness, honey? Blurred vision? Nausea?" Jackie asked, keeping a close eye on her.

After a moment, Brennan shook her head slowly. "No. I'm good." she said, smiling at the progress in her recovery.

"Okay, then." Jackie said. "Agent Booth, if you'd keep a hand around her arm, Doctor Brennan can take her walk." she smiled. "And Doctor Brennan, make sure you keep your right hand around the IV stand, pulling it with you as you walk." she added.

"Oh!" Brennan exclaimed, turning to Jackie with wide eyes. "Is the back of my gown tied closed?" she asked.

Jackie nodded. "Of course. But, if you'd like, I can get you another one to wear as a kind of robe." she said.

"Yes, thank you."

Jackie went back to the storage cabinet, getting an extra gown out. "Okay, Doctor Brennan. Just pop your arm through here," she said, holding the gown open behind Brennan, with Booth guiding her left arm back a bit through the hole, "and then I'll just undo the buttons on the right so we can get it over your IV." she said, doing just that. "And you're all set." she said, going to prop the door open.

Holding tightly to the IV stand with one arm, and with Booth's hand wrapped securely around her other arm, Brennan slowly took her first steps in weeks, shuffling toward the door.

"Okay, Doctor Brennan. You see that small row of chairs at the end of the hall down there?" Jackie asked.

"That's as far as I can go?" Brennan guessed.

Jackie smiled softly at the disappointed look on her face. "For starters, yes, that's as far as you can go. Once you get there, sit and rest if you need it, then turn around and come back." she said. "And I'll be back to check on you in a bit." she said, turning to walk to the nurse's station.

"You ready, Bones?" Booth asked, readjusting his grip on her arm. He wanted a tight grip to support her, but not so tight he left bruises.

"Yes." she said, taking another shuffling step.

Neither one heard the gasp that came from Angela's mouth as she, Hodgins, and Wendell stood in the hall behind them, nor the tears pouring down her face and the ones forming in Hodgins and Wendell's eyes.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Nope. Don't own Bones. If I did, it would still be going.**

 **Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed, followed, or added to your favorites.**

 **So sorry for the wait, guys. Seriously. What can I say? My muse gets easily sidetracked.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh, that feels nice." Brennan said with a sigh, turning her face toward the sun as she stepped into the courtyard.

Booth gently grabbed her arm, noticing she was starting to wobble a bit. "Yeah, it does." he agreed. "But, like the nurse said, if you're going to be out here, you _have to be sitting_ , Bones." he reminded her.

Brennan rolled her eyes, letting out a groan of disapproval. "Yes, Booth. I know, Booth." she said rebelliously. "But, I don't see why. My legs are doing much better, so it makes sense that I start getting them used to being used by _actually using them_." she argued.

"Yes, Bones. _We know, Bones_." Booth said in a placating manner. "But, that doesn't mean going for a five mile jog. You have to start out easy, Bones."

"Well, that nurse..."

"The nurse is just following the doc's orders, is all."

"Yes, well..."

"Are you a _fully qualified medical doctor_ , Bones? No. Therefore, until one says differently, you'll be following _their orders_ , not your own." he said firmly, guiding her toward a stone bench down the path to their left.

"I don't see why. I know more than he does." she grumbled, making Booth chuckle.

"I'm sure you do, Bones, and while I know you're going to fight me on this, you won't win." he replied. "Now, we're going to sit here, on this very uncomfortable bench in the shade, enjoy a few moments of nature, then go back up to the room." he said.

"You know, if the hospital wants people to spend more time out here, they could have at least chosen more comfortable seats." Brennan said after a few moments, wriggling around in discomfort.

"Bones, hospitals aren't supposed to be comfortable." Booth said, watching the potted shrubs moving in the gentle breeze. "They're supposed to be uncomfortable so you get better and go home as fast as possible." he added.

"In that case, the hospital administrators will be glad to know it's working." she said, making Booth chuckle again before the two lapsed into a comfortable silence.

The quiet between Booth and Brennan only lasted a brief ten minutes, as a voice with a strong southern accent broke the air to their right. "Temperance Brennan, you are a hard woman to find."

Brennan smiled at hearing the familiar voice belonging to her attorney's secretary, Victoria. "Good afternoon, Victoria." she said, turning to look at the cheerful redhead.

"Good afternoon to you, too." the woman replied, stepping closer and giving Brennan a gentle hug. "You can't possibly know how relieved I am to see you up and about." she said, pulling away.

"It feels good to be up, believe me." Brennan laughed. "Victoria, this is my partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth. Booth, this is Victoria Matheson, the best secretary any law office has ever had." she said, making Victoria chuckle.

"Hello." Booth said, giving a small wave.

"So, you're Booth, huh?" she asked, smirking. "I can't tell you how nice it is to _finally_ be able to put a face with the name." Victoria laughed. "Anyway, Temperance, did you get the flowers I sent?" she asked. When Brennan just gave her a confused look, she added, "It was a big bouquet of gerbera daisies. Mostly orange ones, I think. Or, they should have been, if the flower shop got the order right." she laughed.

"Oh!" Booth exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "She did get them, and they were orange. Well...there were a few others in there that weren't orange, but..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"Were they white, hon?" Victoria asked.

"Uh...yeah, yeah they were." he nodded.

Victoria smiled, sighing. "Good. Then the order was just right." she said. Shaking her head, she reached into her big black leather bag she was carrying, withdrawing a thick manila envelope. "Oh, I almost forgot these. Here you are, Temperance. Just as requested."

Brennan took the envelope from her, laying it on her lap. "Thank you, Victoria." she smiled. "I thought you'd send it by messenger, though."

"Well, if I did that, I wouldn't have gotten to see you, would I?" Victoria asked with a wink. Glancing at her watch, she said, "Oh, shoot, I've got to run. I have a few more errands to run before I get back to the office."

"Thank you for coming, though." Brennan said, smiling. "I appreciate the visit."

Victoria leaned down and hugged her again. "It was no problem, sweetheart." she said, pulling away. "It would be unthinkable not to come visit you." she smiled.

"Thank you, again. Tell Jim and the kids hello from me." Brennan said.

"I will." she smiled. "You take care, sweetheart." she said, waving as she began walking back the same path she came down.

* * *

"Okay, you all settled, Bones?" Booth asked, straightening out Brennan's blankets.

"Yes, Booth." she smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem, Bones." he said, going to sit in what had become 'his' chair next to her bed.

"Would you be upset if I took a little nap, Booth?" she asked, turning her head toward him.

"Nah." he said, waving his hand. "Go ahead. I'll just do my crossword puzzle." he said, reaching for the book.

"Oh, Booth,' she said, groggily, already almost asleep, 'you're so..."

"What?" Booth asked, frowning. "Bones? Bones?" he asked, leaning forward a bit, only to see she was now asleep. Chuckling to himself, he shook his head, turning back to his crossword book. However, after a few moments, his mind tuned out of the clues he'd been reading, wondering what Bones was going to say.

 _'I'm so what?'_ he wondered, frowning. _'Sweet? Kind? Thoughtful? Understanding?'_ he thought, staring out of the window at the cloudy skies. _'Sexy? Irresistible? Devilishly handsome?'_ he thought with a raised eyebrow, a silly grin forming on his face as his mind wandered.

Of course, as these things go, he was interrupted a few minutes later by the arrival of Angela and Hodgins. The annoying feeling he felt when they entered the room dissipated as soon as he saw the bag from the diner in Hodgins hands, though.

"Hey, guys." he smiled, placing his pen in the book, closing it.

"Hi, Booth." Angela said, returning his smile as she set her bag on the table. "How's she been doing?"

"Pretty good." he said. "We took a stroll down to the courtyard earlier, and then when we came back here, she fell asleep."

"What?" Angela asked, beaming. "Bren made it all the way to the courtyard?"

"Uh, well...we had to take a wheelchair down to the first floor and walk it from there, but yeah." Booth nodded.

"That's still great, Booth." Hodgins said, handing him a take-out box. "I hope a turkey club on rye is alright."

Booth popped the top open, trying to do so quietly so he didn't wake Bones. "Oh, it's more than alright, bug-man." he smiled, reaching for the sandwich.

"MacLachlan and Associates? What is this?" Angela asked, indicating the envelope lying on the rolling table.

Booth swallowed his mouthful of sandwich, shrugging. "No idea, but it's from her lawyers, though." he replied.

Hodgins hissed through his teeth. "Lawyers?" he asked.

"Yeah." Booth nodded. "A secretary dropped them off while we were in the courtyard."

"Huh." Angela said, tilting her head. "I wonder if these are about that scholarship she was going to start? Remember, Hodgins?"

"Oh!" he said, eyes wide. "Yeah, I totally forgot about that." he said.

"Bones is starting another scholarship?" Booth asked, frowning. "Doesn't she already have like...six?"

Angela nodded. "Something like that, yeah. But, this one was going to be specifically for kids who grew up in orphanages, or foster care. You know, the ones who have the grades, but would be like Bren, having to work two or three jobs to afford college."

Booth smiled, looking at his sleeping partner. "That's...that's great." he said. And to him, it was just another example of Bones' generous heart. He knew how hard she struggled during college - working multiple jobs while keeping a perfect grade, and never missing a class. Those years were where she got her drive, and her sheer stubbornness, which were two things he admired most about her.

* * *

Just before six, Brennan stirred, slowly waking. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see she was alone. Usually, Booth, Angela, Hodgins, or Cam could be found, Booth in the chair by her bed, the others preferring the sofa near the window.

Turning her head to the right, she was surprised to see that she'd been asleep for nearly four hours, as it was now close to six o'clock. She guessed she was more tired than she thought. Despite still being tired, and wanting to go back to sleep, she decided to try and stay awake, since dinner would be getting delivered at half six.

Reaching over to the table, she grabbed the envelope brought to her earlier. There was no better time to go over it than when she was alone, and had the peace to be able to concentrate on the papers. Pulling out the small stack, she began reading through the usual legal jargon, noticing it was the exact same as on previous papers like this. Grabbing one of the pens that Booth had left on the table, she signed her name in black ink, mouthing along as she did.

Lightly blowing on the fresh ink, she waited until she was satisfied it was dried before placing it back into the envelope, pushing the table away from her.

After a few moments of lying there, enjoying the quiet, she decided quiet was not wanted at the moment, so she pushed the button beside her to turn on the television. Flicking through a few channels, she finally stopped on an old western. Brennan thought the man on the screen seemed familiar, although she couldn't place him. However, after watching for a moment, the answer finally came to her.

 _'John Wayne.'_ she thought, smiling. _'That's it. I watched this with Dad a long time ago.'_ Turning the volume up a bit, she settled back into her pillows, eyes fixated on the screen as she watched John Wayne shooting someone, trying to be patient as she waited for her dinner to be delivered.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **'Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I don't own Bones. Never did, never will. Unfortunately.**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews, for following, or for adding to your favorites. And a special 'Thanks' to those of you who have sent me a pm about updating.**

 **So...it's been a while since my last update. I took a little bit of time off writing my stories, for a few personal reasons. But, I'm back, and I hope ya'll like this.**

 **BTW - I don't endorse violence, especially gun violence. School shootings are a terrible thing to hear about, and I sincerely hope they stop happening. I don't mean to offend any of you with the topic being briefly brought up in this chapter. My apologies in advance if I do.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **WARNINGS: LANGUAGE ; SENSITVE TOPIC**

* * *

Oliver MacLachlan, Attorney at Law, sighed as he entered his office. It had been a long day in court, and he was pleased as punch to finally be back in his plush office. Hanging his jacket on the coat rack by the door, he carried his briefcase with him, setting it down beside him as he took a seat behind the large oak desk. No sooner than he'd kicked off his shoes under said desk did his door open, and his secretary practically bounced in, as if she was on a spring.

"Good afternoon, Mr. MacLachlan!" Victoria greeted, a cheery smile on her face.

"Not good, but afternoon." Oliver said grumpily, picking up the first envelope from the pile she laid on the desk.

Victoria chose not to comment, seeing her boss was obviously in a bad mood. "That's all the mail for you, plus those contracts you were waiting for to be messengered over arrived not long ago, along with a few other parcels." she said.

"None of them ticking, are they?" he asked dryly, getting a laugh from Victoria.

"Not as far as I can tell." she chuckled. "But the week's not over." she added, cheekily.

"Near enough." Oliver grumbled. "But, there's always next week." he said, opening the next envelope in the pile. "Do me a favor, would you, and order me something from that little diner down the street. I don't particularly care what, either."

"Can do." Victoria agreed with a nod. "Oh, and before I forget, ex-wife number two called. Said something about the alimony payment being short this month."

Oliver groaned, resisting the urge to bang his head against the desk. "Make a note to remind me to call her. Tomorrow." he said.

"Alright. I'll bring your lunch in when it gets here." she said, turning for the door.

"Thank you, Vick." he said, giving her a nod.

Once the door to his office was once again shut, and he was left in peace, he let out a long sigh. Sometimes it didn't pay to get out of bed in the mornings. Reaching for one of the manila envelopes, he opened it and pulled out a small stack of papers, unsticking the small note attached to the front paper.

 _Mac -_

 _These are precisely what I asked for. Thank you for wording them the way we_

 _discussed on the phone. I trust few people, but rest assured, you're one of the few I do._

 _Dr. Brennan_

Oliver gave a little smile seeing Dr. Brennan's loopy script. He was glad that he remembered what the good doctor had requested of him during a late night phone call a few days earlier. But, what really got to him was the part about having her trust. As a lawyer, trust wasn't an easy thing to come by with his clients, as most of them had been screwed over by a lawyer before. Opening his middle drawer, he stuck the note in it before turning to the stack of papers.

 ** _PARKER BOOTH EDUCATION TRUST_**

After checking each space, he nodded to himself, noting that each space was correct, and Dr. Brennan had signed where he had indicated, he moved on to the next set of forms.

 ** _HAYLEY BRENNAN EDUCATION TRUST_**

Once again, he checked to make sure everything was correct, which it was, before moving on to the next set.

 ** _EMMA BRENNAN EDUCATION TRUST_**

Seeing each separate set of forms signed, and all filled in just how they should be, and there were no problems with any of them, he set them all in his in-box, making a mental note to file them later. But first - lunch.

* * *

"Yeah, Russ, I did." Brennan nodded, turning toward the balloon/flower bouquet that Russ and Amy sent. "Tell them I said thanks." she said.

"I will, Sis. Oh, but the balloons are from the girls. They wanted to send you something, too, so we let them add those to the flowers." Russ said, smiling in the direction of the girls playing in the yard as he sat in the kitchen talking to his sister.

Brennan chuckled, reaching up and giving the balloons a light tap. "I figured, Russ. I mean, teddy bears on pink balloons isn't exactly the kind of thing I picture you or Amy sending." she said.

Russ laughed, reaching for his bottle of beer on the table in front of him. "Well, I mean, Amy _does_ like teddy bears, so..." he said, smiling as he got another laugh out of his sister. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and asked what he wanted to ask originally when he called. "So, have you made a decision yet, Tempe?"

"About what?", she asked, confused.

Russ sighed, hoping that instead of being difficult, she had just forgotten. "About taking that teaching job at the university, Tempe."

"Russ..."

"I think you should take it. And, I'll have you know, Dad agrees with me." he said, cutting her off.

"Russ..."

"It's the best thing for you, Tempe, if you think about it." he said, interrupting her once again. "It'll be less dangerous." he added.

"I know that, Russ, I do." Brennan agreed, giving Booth a smile as he entered her room, a bag containing take out from Mama's in his hand. "But, I think...I _know_...I'm going to stay with the Jeffersonian." she said.

Russ groaned, leaning his head back and looking toward the ceiling. "But, Tempe..."

"No, Russ." she said sternly. "I love the Jeffersonian. I enjoy the work I do there. I like the people. The people I work with have become family to me..."

"Don't I know it." he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"...and, what's more," she said, continuing on, "is the work I do is important, Russ."

"I know it is, Tempe, but...Christ sake, can't you give up the danger part? I mean, I thought you were a scientist who worked in a lab?" he argued.

"I am, Russ. And, to be honest, yes, I could do without the dangers that come with the job I do, but that's only a small part."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Tempe!" Russ exclaimed. "You've been shot, stabbed, blown up, kidnapped, stalked, and buried alive! Just about the only thing you haven't been is poisoned!"

"Don't you think I know all that, Russ?" Brennan asked, angrily. "You think I've forgotten all of that?" she yelled.

Booth was becoming concerned as he watched Bones' face turn a dark red as she continued to get angrier and angrier. "What?" he mouthed, frowning when she shook her head at him.

"I know exactly where every scar on my body came from, Russ! Every. Single. One." she said through gritted teeth. "Besides, let's say I take that job, and I give a student a grade he doesn't agree with. What's to keep him from coming back and shooting me, Russ? Nothing. Any job has dangers, Russ. It's just a part of life."

"Not yours!" he yelled, throwing his beer across the kitchen in anger, hearing it shatter against the wall. "You're supposed to identify human remains, Tempe! Safe in a boring lab, with a boring job! Not out playing cop with an FBI agent who doesn't give two shits about your safety!"

"Don't you dare pin any of that on Booth, Russ! I made him bring me out in the field!" she yelled, her voice going up in pitch as she got angrier. "He didn't want to bring me into the field, Russ!"

"But yet, you're still out there with him! Getting hurt!" Russ exclaimed. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to calm down before he continued. "This university gig is what's best for you, Tempe. Don't make any big decisions just yet, but promise... _promise me_...you'll at least give it a consideration. A serious consideration." he requested.

Brennan was silent for a moment, trying not to lash out at her brother. She knew, after several conversations with both Booth and Angela, and one extremely unwanted conversation with Sweets, that he, along with Max, only wanted the best for her. And if they got pushy about it, which they often did, it was only because they were trying to make up for abandoning her when she was younger, trying to push their way back into her life.

"Russ, I know you mean well, and I know that our relationship has grown, and it's finally at steady place, but you need to realize something, and that's that I'm not your kid sister anymore. I'm an adult, Russ, and I'm extremely capable of making my own decisions. You don't get to say, 'Do this, because it's the best choice', and I'm going to listen. I made a life for myself here, and you can't expect me to just walk away from it because I have a few bad things happen to me." she said.

Russ snorted. "A few bad things?" he asked.

"Yes, Russ, that's all those events were. But, if I compare that to the...satisfaction...I get when we catch a murderer, which happens more often than me getting shot, or stabbed, or hurt in general, than it's nothing. I count the catching of a murderer as a good day, Russ. And, yes, I have bad days, when we don't catch a murderer, or one of us gets hurt, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, Russ." she said, smiling as she watched a small smile cross Booth's face at hearing her words to her brother.

Russ sighed again. He knew there was no getting through to his sister, but he had to try.

"Listen, Russ, I got to go. Booth just brought in lunch." she said.

"Alright. I love you, Tempe." Russ sighed.

"I love you, too."

"Hey, Tempe?"

"Yes?"

"Marco."

Brennan's eyes filled with tears as she smiled into the phone.

"Polo." she said quietly, clicking the phone off.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **'Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I don't own Bones. That should be pretty obvious, though, yeah?**

 **Holy shitballs! I am so sorry for the wait, everyone. With the exception of a couple of my stories, I seem to have run into a brick wall. I've been trying and trying to get everything updated, but the ideas have just been trickling in, and I really need to have them pouring in. (Sigh.) Writer's block is a real bitch.**

 **Alright, alright. I know you didn't come here for me. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

For the first time in a few days, the only occupants in Brennan's hospital room were just her and Booth. While Booth was sitting beside her bed, in what everyone had automatically deemed 'his' chair, with his feet propped up on the other guest chair one of the nurses had dragged in, working on his book of crosswords, Brennan was fixated on the television screen hanging on the wall. The classic movie channel was currently showing a John Wayne marathon, and she was truly enjoying it. As a little girl, before her life took a terrible turn, she and Max used to curl up together every Saturday on their old floral sofa, and spend hours watching John Wayne movies. Those were some of her few happy memories from childhood.

It was during a commercial break that she broke the silence between her and Booth.

"Do you know what happened to my car, Booth?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

Booth blinked in confusion as he met her clear blue eyes. "Uh...it was totaled, Bones," he said, sorrowfully. "I...I thought you knew that."

Brennan frowned as she stared into his dark brown eyes. "No, I knew that, Booth. I meant where was it removed to? Where did the police have it taken away to?" she asked, clarifying what she meant.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, putting his feet down and sitting up to see her better. "I think they had it hauled off to a salvage yard somewhere outside Raleigh," he answered. "Why?"

Brennan shrugged. "Was anything recovered from it before it was taken away?" she asked.

"Uh...I'm not sure, Bones," he shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if anyone found my cellphone, or my duffel bag with my clothing in it, or my purse, at least?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

"I don't know, but I can make some calls, if you'd like," Booth said, making a few notes on the legal pad on the bedside rolling table. "Anything else? What about your laptop, Bones?"

"It wasn't with me," she shrugged, turning back to the television. "I actually did no work that weekend," she added.

Booth raised his eyebrows in surprise, but chose not to say anything. "Alright, Bones," he said, grabbing his cellphone as he stood up, "I'll go see what I can do, and hey, while I'm out, I'll swing by the diner. Chocolate milkshake?"

Brennan smiled, nodding at him. "Yes, thank you, Booth."

"I'll be back in a bit, Bones. Try to get some rest," he said, pulling her door closed as he left.

* * *

Booth was standing at the reception desk in the small salvage yard, trying to be patient as the man behind the counter looked through his records.

"I know it's here somewhere..." the man mumbled, sorting through a big pile of papers. "What kinda car was it, again?"

"Prius. Blue Prius," Booth said, rolling his eyes. This man had asked him that question three times now, and always forgot in just a few moments. "Smashed up pretty good, should've been hauled in just a bit ago from North Carolina."

The man, whose name patch on his coveralls read 'Jimmy', looked up wide eyed at Booth. " _That car_?" he asked, surprised. "I didn't realize that was the Prius, Agent."

"Yeah, that's the one," Booth nodded.

"Here we are," Jimmy said, holding up a yellow paper, scanning it. "Let's see - twenty eleven Toyota Prius, cobalt blue color, involved in a motor accident in North Carolina a few weeks back..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the car, Jimmy," Booth interrupted sharply. "Could you take me to it, or do I have to find it myself?" he asked.

Jimmy gulped, feeling it would be in his best interest to take the angry FBI agent to the car. "Uh, no, Sir. I'll take you to it," he said, hurrying out from behind the counter, heading for the door.

"Thank you," Booth sighed, rolling his eyes again, following the skittish man to the yard.

"Can I ask, Sir, did the driver survive?" Jimmy asked.

Booth nodded. "Yeah, she did," he answered. "Barely, but yeah."

Jimmy let out a low whistle. "She must be quite the fighter, then," he said as the car came into view. "'Cause I didn't imagine anyone surviving _that_ ," he said, pointing toward the Prius.

Booth stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Bones' wrecked car. Well, wrecked would be a severe understatement, actually. Decimated, demolished...even pulverized...would fit better in these circumstances.

"Holy shit," he whispered, eyes wide as he took in the damage. Where Bones' car was once merely small, it was now nearly miniscule. It was hard for Booth to even remember exactly what this car used to look like, in fact, without all...that.

Not to mention the fact that Bones had survived this! That alone was astonishing for him. It wasn't when he didn't know what the Prius looked like after the accident, but knowing now...Booth was having a hard time thinking straight. Closing his eyes, he took a couple of deep breaths and reminded himself that Bones was alright, and waiting for him back at the hospital, probably driving the nurses crazy by now.

"Okay, uh, Jimmy," he said, slowly opening his eyes, "is it safe for me to try and pry one of the back doors open, or what?"

"Why would you wanna open the doors?" Jimmy asked, a confused look forming on his dirty face as he scratched his chin.

"Well, _Jimmy,_ if you must know, the owner asked me to see if there were any of her belongings in the damned car, and since it wasn't documented anywhere, I just assumed anything would still be inside," Booth snapped, getting annoyed with the man.

"Oh, no, that stuff came in separately," Jimmy said, oblivious to Booth's darkening mood. "The guy at the other salvage yard removed anything he found. He documented what he removed, too, just in case," he said.

Booth smiled, feeling less annoyed with Jimmy. "That's great news, Jimmy-boy," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "Now, where might that stuff be?"

"Uh...in the office, Sir," Jimmy said.

Instead of words, Booth just pointed in the direction of the office, indicating Jimmy to walk in front of him. He turned back after a few steps, taking in the damaged car and sending up a prayer of thanks that Bones survived.

* * *

It was later that evening when Booth returned to the hospital, balancing the food and milkshakes in one hand, and Bones' things in the other. Spying Bones asleep, he toed off his shoes, kicking them out of the way, and walked softly across the tiled floor to set the food on the table, making sure not to spill the milkshakes. Truthfully, he was glad Bones was currently sleeping, as it saved him being questioned about why he had been so late getting back.

In reality, his day, including the trip to the scrapyard and then the diner, should have had him back in her room about an hour ago, but he had gotten detoured. It had taken about seven hours to get the car hauled to the scrapyard, after all. So, after an explanation to Bones, he had spent the day catching up on some work, waiting for the company to haul her car in. He had intended to be back much sooner. He really did. However, once he got sight of Bones' car, he had a few emotions and issues to work through, so he had retreated to the shooting range for a bit. There was something cathartic about shooting round after round after round into one of those paper targets they give you.

He hadn't realized that he spent three and a half hours shooting faceless, paper silhouettes, though. By the time he noticed the time, he packed up his things, called in the order, stopped by the diner, and then headed back to the hospital, all the while praying Bones wasn't too upset he'd been gone so long.

But, thankfully, she was sleeping, therefore missed his late entrance.

Turning to face his partner, Booth couldn't help but stare at her. He'd always known he was lucky to have her in his life, but even more so after his visit to the scrapyard. The sight of her car brought up all the thoughts he'd tried desperately to suppress that he easily could have lost her in that collision. The two had had a few close calls over the years, true, but Booth knew this was one of the closest.

He vowed to himself and to God as he stared at the wreckage that he'd be there for her, no matter what, and in any way she wanted.

"Booth," Bones' voice murmured, interrupting his train of thought.

"Yeah, Bones?" he asked, stepping closer to her bed. "Did you need something?"

"Yes, actually," she said, blinking as she slowly woke up, "I do."

"What's that, then?"

"Stop watching me," she said, her voice rough with sleep. "I can't sleep with someone watching me," she said.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Hey, are you hungry? I brought food," he said, going back to the table.

"I want my milkshake for now," Bones said, scooting up in the bed. "Ange and Hodgins stopped by earlier, and brought me some soup."

Booth nodded. "Okay, then," he said, grabbing her milkshake and a straw before walking back to her bedside. "Here we go, Bones. One Royal Diner medium thick chocolate milkshake," he said, smiling as he handed it to her. "And," he said, dramatically holding the straw out for her, "one straw."

Bones rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile as she grabbed it from him.

She failed.

"You're ridiculous," she laughed.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


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